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Aug. 20 (UPI) -- North Korea held a virtual conference addressing information technology and construction, according to state media on Friday. Pyongyang's state-controlled news agency KCNA reported that the conference took place from Tuesday to Thursday and was hosted by the General Federation of Science and Technology of Korea.
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The conference's technology segment focused on continuing education for "students without interruption, even in emergency situations including public health crises and natural disasters," state media said.
The North Korean report did not disclose information on whether schools in the country have been holding classes virtually due to COVID-19 or whether educators were adapting to a new environment.
KCNA said more than 100 papers were presented at the virtual conference, including those authored by North Korean professors, researchers, graduate students and undergraduates from Kim Il Sung University, the Kim Chaek University of Technology and Kim Hyong Jik Normal University.
For the construction segment, North Korean scientists, engineers and professors from the Capital Construction Committee and Pyongyang University of Architecture shared their research, state media said.
Korean Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said presentations on the pharmaceutical industry were a "very meaningful opportunity for accelerating the scientific development of traditional Korean medicine production."
Kim Jong Un has stressed the importance of developing North Korean technology policy that is aligned with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and artificial intelligence.
Earlier this year, North Korea's media mentioned a new ministry of information industry.
The ministry most likely was created after the meeting of the Supreme People's Assembly on Jan. 17. Outcomes of the meeting included new ministerial appointments. The information industry minister or ministry was not mentioned in North Korean media in January, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap in May.
