"The Workers' Party of Korea and the government ... will strive to develop relations of good-neighborliness and friendship with other countries and achieve global independence under the unfurled banner of independence, peace and friendship, " KCNA reported.

CNN: North Korea makes peace pledge in New Year column

The official events began with a banquet last Monday and continued with large meetings later in the week of the Workers' Party and Supreme People's Assembly, North Korea's rubber-stamp legislature.

WSJ: Defiant Kim Ramps Up Rhetoric

In North Korea an extremely rare conference of the country's Workers' Party is to take place next week.

BBC: Tales of starvation and death in North Korea