Kim Jong Un, leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has urged the United States to end its hostile policy towards Pyongyang, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday.

At the eighth congress of the Workers' Party of Korea of the DPRK, Kim said that halting hostilities by Washington will be key to future relations between DPRK and the United States.

But Kim was also quoted as saying that Washington's policy against Pyongyang won't change regardless of who rules the White House.

This is the first response by the DPRK to the new U.S. government as U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated on January 20. 

Boost in national defense

Kim also called for a boost in national defense at his ruling party congress. According to KCNA, Pyongyang has finished plans for a nuclear-powered submarine.

"This gave a clearer description of the status of our state as a nuclear weapons state and enabled it to cement its strong and reliable strategic deterrent for coping with any threat by establishing a perfect nuclear shield," Kim said, according to a text of his speech released by KCNA on Thursday, the third day of the congress. 

Read more on the session:

DPRK leader vows to advance social construction, external relations

Policy on Republic of Korea

During the session, Kim and the congress attendees also reiterated the party's policy to expand and forge comprehensive relations with neighboring Republic of Korea (ROK) and other nations.

On his new policy on ROK, Kim said bilateral relations could return to three years ago when a peaceful mood was created "at any time," but this depends on Seoul's attitude.

Relations with Seoul went cold starting June 2020 after Pyongyang demolished an inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Kaesong in retaliation for Seoul's failure to stop activists from sending anti-DPRK leaflets into the North.

(With input from Xinhua)