North Korea marks founding anniv. as economy hit by pandemic, disasters

North Korea on Wednesday marked the 72nd anniversary of its founding, at a time when the nation's economy has been apparently languishing against a backdrop of the aftermath of the new coronavirus pandemic and natural disasters.Leader Kim Jong Un has acknowledged that he cannot achieve his year-end goal of rebuilding the economy following "unexpected" damage by typhoons, while vowing to take measures to rehabilitate areas affected by them, state-run media reported.As its negotiations with the United States on denuclearization and economic sanctions relief have also remained at a standstill,…READ FULL ARTICLE