<p>North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has convened a key meeting of top ruling party officials, state media said Sunday, ahead of a year-end deadline for Washington to shift its stance on stalled nuclear talks.</p>.<p>The plenary session, which opened on Saturday, follows widespread speculation that Pyongyang is preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile -- as a threatened "Christmas gift" for Washington.</p>.<p>Kim presided over the meeting which discussed a new "transparent, anti-imperialist independent stand", the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.</p>.<p>The ruling Workers' Party of Korea will also "discuss important matters arising... in the building of the state and national defence", KCNA added.</p>.<p>Talks on denuclearising the Korean peninsula have been largely deadlocked since the second summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump collapsed in Hanoi at the start of this year.</p>.<p>The opening of the plenary comes a week after Kim held a meeting of top defence officials and discussed boosting military capabilities.</p>.<p>Pyongyang has carried out a series of static tests at its Sohae rocket facility this month, after a number of weapons launches in recent weeks -- some of them described as ballistic missiles by Japan and others.</p>.<p>North Korea is banned from carrying out such tests under UN sanctions.</p>.<p>"We'll find out what the surprise is and we'll deal with it very successfully," Trump said when asked about the North Korean deadline.</p>.<p>"Everybody's got surprises for me, but let's see what happens. I handle them as they come along."</p>
<p>North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has convened a key meeting of top ruling party officials, state media said Sunday, ahead of a year-end deadline for Washington to shift its stance on stalled nuclear talks.</p>.<p>The plenary session, which opened on Saturday, follows widespread speculation that Pyongyang is preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile -- as a threatened "Christmas gift" for Washington.</p>.<p>Kim presided over the meeting which discussed a new "transparent, anti-imperialist independent stand", the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.</p>.<p>The ruling Workers' Party of Korea will also "discuss important matters arising... in the building of the state and national defence", KCNA added.</p>.<p>Talks on denuclearising the Korean peninsula have been largely deadlocked since the second summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump collapsed in Hanoi at the start of this year.</p>.<p>The opening of the plenary comes a week after Kim held a meeting of top defence officials and discussed boosting military capabilities.</p>.<p>Pyongyang has carried out a series of static tests at its Sohae rocket facility this month, after a number of weapons launches in recent weeks -- some of them described as ballistic missiles by Japan and others.</p>.<p>North Korea is banned from carrying out such tests under UN sanctions.</p>.<p>"We'll find out what the surprise is and we'll deal with it very successfully," Trump said when asked about the North Korean deadline.</p>.<p>"Everybody's got surprises for me, but let's see what happens. I handle them as they come along."</p>