North Korea set to convene 2nd legislative meeting this year

North Korea is set to hold this year's second legislative meeting this week, with a major decision expected to be approved, possibly on personnel or social affairs.

The 13th Supreme People's Assembly is scheduled for Thursday in Pyongyang as the country announced earlier this month through its official Korean Central News Agency.

The upcoming meeting of what is regarded as the country's rubber-stamp parliament is the second of its kind this year following the previous one convened in April.

Its annual session is usually held in March or April, bringing together 687 delegates from across the country.

Sometimes, however, the North opens another meeting in the autumn especially for approving key public policy or legal measures.

The KCNA announcement did not say what policy measures will be put to a vote in the Thursday meeting, with officials here saying that the agenda items may range from a personnel change to legal overhaul of the country's education or conscription systems.

Personnel decisions on key officials including Choe Ryong-hae, elected as vice chairman of the National Defense Commission in the April session, and Hwang Pyong-so, top political officer of the Korean People's Army, could be among the possibilities, experts said.

Major policy measures on the country's mandatory schooling system or economic or conscription affairs could be finalized, they noted.

With possible agenda items still shrouded in secrecy, media attention may also focus on whether the country's leader Kim Jong-un would attend the widely-publicized meeting.

Kim has not appeared in any North Korean media coverage since his last public appearance on Sept. 3 when he was watching a music concert.

Speculation about Kim's health has been raised as he had been seen walking with a limp in video news reports released from the North. (Yonhap)