North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the final day of a four-day ruling-party Plenary Meeting on Tuesday delivered a speech outlining major policy shifts with regards to military developments, sanctions, and the country's stance on stalled talks with the U.S.

The speech was covered in state media on the morning of New Year's Day in place of the much-anticipated annual New Year Address, where Kim was expected to lay out the nation's policy direction on additional areas, review the past year of economic activity, declare detailed expectations in various sectors for the new year, and announce new slogans to be used in state propaganda.