N. Korea urges timely rice harvest to meet economic targets

North Korea on Monday urged its people to complete the rice harvest at the right time as part of a broader push to meet targets under its five-year national economic plan. The Rodong Sinmun, the country's most widely read state newspaper, devoted its front page to articles and a commentary on the harvest. Describing the agriculture industry as "the first sector that shows the results of the year's business," the paper said a successful harvest would "inspire the people with confidence and optimism and reinvigorate the nation's economy." "There is no task more important or urgent than the fall harvest," it said, urging people to throw themselves into the effort. The paper also struck an upbeat note on this year's harvest, crediting growing mechanization in the field. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced the country's new five-year economic plan during a key party congress in February, stressing agricultural mechanization to increase crop output.