North Korea says in its New Year’s message that it will give priority to the economy in 2007.

The Korea Development Institute said that a New Year’s joint editorial by North Korea’s major state-run newspapers mentioned economic issues ahead of political ideology and the military for the first time since 1995.

Noting also that they recognized the North’s poor economic conditions and food shortages, the institute quoted the editorial as saying that North Korea had gone through its worst decade as it called for a stronger agricultural industry to serve as the basis for the economy.

KDI went on to say that, as Pyongyang expects fundamental difficulties such as financial sanctions and resource shortages, it is likely to show more enthusiasm to aid from Seoul and inter-Korean economic projects.

The institute also pointed out that the editorial placed unusual emphasis on the words “Korean people," reflecting perhaps high hopes for South Korean assistance.