North Korea has discussed ways to enhance the Cabinet's role in implementing this year's economic goals, state media reported Thursday, amid the country's protracted economic difficulties caused by UN sanctions imposed due to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

Premier Kim Tok-hun presided over a plenary meeting of the Party Committee of the Cabinet from Monday to Wednesday in a follow-up to a year-end key party meeting, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The meeting discussed "practical matters" for the goal of strengthening the Cabinet's overall control of economic projects and its leadership, the KCNA said.

At the plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in December, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the "thorough" implementation of a five-year development economic plan in 2024. The economic plan was laid out at a key party congress in 2021.

Kim has been strengthening the role of the Cabinet as the "economic control tower" as the country is grappling with severe food shortages and economic hardships.

North Korea has been under tightened UN sanctions, which call for, among other things, a ban on the country's exports of coal and other mineral resources to cut off North Korea's access to hard currency.

In a separate dispatch, the KCNA said youths held rallies in Pyongyang and other cities Wednesday to muster support for implementing decisions made at the year-end party meeting. (Yonhap)