North Korea opens major party congress with Kim emphasizing economy
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has commenced its highly anticipated political gathering, where leader Kim Jong Un is projected to outline his domestic and international policy agenda for the next five years and solidify his family’s autocratic rule.
The official Korean Central News Agency of North Korea announced on Friday that the ruling Workers’ Party Congress commenced in Pyongyang the previous day with Kim delivering a speech focusing on the economy.
Kim highlighted the country’s advancements since the 2021 congress, which took place amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing economic progress and a stronger regional position that he described as an “irreversible” enhancement of the state’s status.
“This has created a conducive environment for accelerating our socialist development,” he stated. “Our party is confronted with significant and pressing historic responsibilities to boost economic growth, improve the people’s quality of life, and expedite the transformation of all aspects of state and social life.”
State media did not immediately report any remarks by Kim addressing his disputes with the United States and South Korea or his nuclear weapons program.
In recent times, Kim has capitalized on Russia’s conflict with Ukraine to advance his nuclear and missile capabilities and strengthen ties with Moscow, providing troops and military equipment to support Russia’s operations, potentially in exchange for economic assistance and military technologies. He has also pursued closer relations with China, historically North Korea’s main ally and economic supporter, visiting Beijing for a World War II event last year and holding his first summit in six years.
While North Korea’s stringent information blockade obscures its actual economic conditions, external analysts suggest a gradual recovery, likely boosted by increased trade with China post-pandemic and arms exports to Russia.
The congress, expected to span several days, follows weeks of buildup during which Kim showcased his military capabilities and toured military facilities, industrial projects, and housing developments to highlight his purported achievements over the past five years. Approximately 5,000 delegates are participating in the congress, including 224 members of the party’s central leadership, as per Kim’s remarks.
Experts anticipate that Kim will utilize the gathering to outline his upcoming economic objectives and elaborate on plans to expand his nuclear-armed forces, already equipped with various systems targeting U.S. allies in Asia and long-range missiles potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
South Korea’s intelligence agency informed lawmakers last week that it is monitoring for indications that Kim might use the congress to position his teenage daughter — believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and around 13 years old — as a potential successor, formalizing the regime’s fourth-generation leadership.
Diplomatic relations between Pyongyang and Washington have been at a standstill since 2019, following the breakdown of a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump due to disagreements over U.S.-imposed sanctions on North Korea’s nuclear program. Kim’s administration has rejected U.S. overtures for dialogue since Trump’s re-election, insisting that Washington must first drop its demand for North Korea’s denuclearization as a prerequisite for any negotiations.
North Korea has also halted nearly all discussions and collaboration with South Korea since Kim’s fallout with Trump. Tensions between the adversaries have escalated in recent years as Kim abandoned North Korea’s longstanding pursuit of peaceful reunification and proclaimed a hostile “two-state” system on the Korean Peninsula, a stance he may seek to formalize in the Workers’ Party’s constitution during the congress, experts suggest.
