North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been re-elected as general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea during a rare party congress, state media reported on Sunday. The decision, announced on the fourth day of the gathering, was described as reflecting the “unshakable will and unanimous desire of all the delegates.”
The multi-day congress, held only once every five years, provides a rare insight into the secretive nation’s political machinery, setting the direction for state priorities ranging from infrastructure projects to military strategy.
In his opening address last Thursday, Kim pledged to improve living standards, acknowledging economic pressures in the sanctions-hit country. “Today, our party is faced with heavy and urgent historic tasks of boosting economic construction and the people’s standard of living,” he said.
Historically, North Korea has prioritised nuclear and military capabilities over economic needs, even as food shortages persisted. Since taking power in 2011, Kim has increasingly highlighted the importance of strengthening the country’s economy. At the 2021 party congress, he made a rare admission that mistakes had been made in “almost all areas” of economic development. State media noted that under his rule, the country’s nuclear deterrence has been “radically improved.”
The current congress is expected to reveal the next phase of North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme. Delegates also voted to amend party rules to consolidate ranks and ensure “impartiality in applying the Party discipline.”
This marks only the ninth Workers’ Party congress convened under the Kim family’s decades-long leadership. The gathering, previously suspended under Kim Jong Il, was revived in 2016. Analysts view the congress as another opportunity for Kim to reinforce his absolute control and continue cultivating his personal cult of leadership.
