Kim Jong Un vows to boost living standards as he opens congress

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to lift living standards as he opened a landmark Workers' Party Congress, state media said on Friday. Kim has stressed the need to fortify the impoverished nation's economy.

He said North Korea had overcome its "worst difficulties" in the last five years, and was now entering a new stage of "optimism and confidence in the future" adding that declaring this year's congress will unveil the next phase in the nation's nuclear weapons programme.