North Korea's Kim talks up economy amid closer Russia ties

SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed greater confidence in the country's economic trajectory at a meeting of top officials as Pyongyang leans on Russian help to escape its sanctions-driven slump.

"The economic field is achieving a positive trend and growth speed, clearly distinguishable from the past ones," Kim said at a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, as reported Tuesday by the official Korean Central News Agency. The four-day event wrapped up Monday.