North Korean state media said Sunday that the country will hold a key political meeting later this month, during which leader Kim Jong Un is expected to outline domestic and foreign policy plans for the next five years, the Associated Press reported.
The congress of the ruling Workers’ Party – previously called by Kim in 2016 and 2021 – follows years of rapid progress on the nuclear and missile programs as well as closer ties with Moscow amid the war in Ukraine, developments that have intensified tensions with the United States and South Korea.
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North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the party’s political bureau met under Kim’s supervision and decided the congress would be held in late February.
State media did not immediately specify a date or release details about the program.
What is expected?
The congress is expected to last several days and serve as a tightly scripted showcase of Kim’s authoritarian rule, according to the Associated Press.
In recent weeks, he has overseen weapons tests and visited military installations and economic projects, with state media highlighting his claimed achievements and attributing gains in military strength and national development to his “immortal leadership”.
His recent activities and comments suggest that Kim will use the congress to double down on economic development through “self-sustenance” and mass mobilization, while also announcing plans to further expand the capabilities of his nuclear-armed military, including modernizing conventional weapons systems and integrating them with nuclear forces, according to the AP.
A New Cold War?
Kim could also highlight his increasingly assertive foreign policy based on closer ties with Moscow and Beijing while stepping up hostility toward rival South Korea as he continues to embrace the idea of a “new Cold War,” experts say, according to the AP.
It remains uncertain whether Kim is open to resuming talks with the United States. Diplomatic efforts collapsed in 2019 after his second summit with then-President Donald Trump, when talks on sanctions related to North Korea’s nuclear program collapsed.
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Since Trump began his second term in January 2025, Kim has rebuffed his attempts to resume dialogue, arguing that Washington must first drop its insistence that North Korea give up its nuclear weapons before any future negotiations can take place.
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Now in his 15th year in power, Kim appears much more secure than he did at the opening of the last party congress in 2021, which was held amid the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, the AP reported.
At the time – widely regarded as the most challenging period of his 10-year rule – Kim admitted that earlier economic strategies had failed and unveiled a new five-year development plan extending to 2025.
He called for accelerated development of his nuclear arsenal and issued an extensive wish list of sophisticated assets including solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles, multiple warhead systems, tactical nuclear weapons, spy satellites and nuclear-powered submarines.
Kim used the geopolitical turmoil to his advantage. He used Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a window to speed up weapons testing and aligned himself with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who accepted thousands of North Korean troops and large amounts of military equipment into the war.
Kim is also seeking closer ties with China, traditionally the North’s main ally and economic lifeline. In September, he traveled to Beijing for a World War II event and the first summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in six years, the AP reported.
Although Kim’s tight control over information makes accurate assessments difficult, South Korean analysts say North Korea’s economy appears to have strengthened over the past five years, which may be helped by a gradual recovery in trade with China and increased industrial activity linked to arms exports to Russia.
Key things
- Kim Jong-un is expected to outline new policy goals aimed at military expansion and economic self-sufficiency.
- North Korea’s strengthened relations with Russia and China could reshape geopolitical dynamics in the region.
- The congress serves as a platform for Kim to showcase his regime’s achievements while strengthening his authoritarian control.