North Korea reportedly opened a rare congress of the ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday.

North Korean media outlets reported on Wednesday that the opening ceremony for the eighth party congress took place in Pyongyang the previous day with leader Kim Jong-un's opening address. 

Kim said that the five-year economic development strategy period wrapped up last year, but the plan significantly failed to meet its goals in almost every sector. 

Noting external and internal challenges that hinder the country's development, Kim stressed the need to produce firm measures to deal with problems and obstacles.  

Kim added that the congress will be a landmark and foothold for a great leap in efforts to strengthen national power and improve the livelihoods of North Koreans.

The congress, the first such meeting in nearly five years, comes weeks before U.S. President-elect Joe Biden takes office. 

The congress was attended by 250 members of the party's leadership, four-thousand-750 delegates and two-thousand observers.