On January 1, at 9.00 am, Pyongyang time, Kim Jong Un’s New Year speech was broadcast on Korea Central television, likely recorded the day before due to the fact pictures from it were also included in Monday’s Rodong Sinmun, published nationwide the very same morning.

As a New Year’s speech is an important ideological event in North Korea, it is customary for analysts and observers to scrutinize its contents to try and find clues regarding future policy direction for the year ahead. Last year, for example, Kim Jong Un said his country would reach “the final