North Korea is dealing with the heavy burden of sanctions, a summer of destructive floods and typhoons, a global COVID-19 pandemic that is dragging down its economy, and — to top it all off — a lack of new reforms in the pipeline.

Now, the country has decided it’s the time to schedule another Party Congress and begin yet another multi-year economic plan  — which seems like incredibly poor timing.

The question stands: What can the North Korean leadership do to reenergize their economy? The stakes are high: The leaders have less than six months to come