North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stressed the need to improve people's living conditions, as he held a lecture to mark the 76th founding anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party, state media said Monday.

He delivered the message during his "important" speech, titled, "Let us further improve party work in line with the demands of the period of fresh development of socialist construction," according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim said the party has defined "the popular masses' independence" as the essence of the socialist construction and urged officials to serve the people like "God," it added.

He then emphasized that the party remains determined to efficiently push ahead with the five-year national economy plan set forth at the party congress in January and called on officials to solve people's food and housing problems.

Kim also told party officials to "always consider whether their work infringe upon the interests of the people or cause trouble to the people." Kim made no mention of inter-Korean ties and the United States.

This marks the first time Kim has delivered a speech on the party's founding anniversary since he took power in late 2011.

Kim "brought to light the brilliant achievements made in our Party building for the last ten years," the KCNA said.

Observers say the rare speech appears aimed at tightening internal unity in the face of the deepening economic fallout caused by the global coronavirus pandemic.

North Korea marked the 76th founding anniversary of its ruling party Sunday without a military parade or any other provocative show of force. (Yonhap)