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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has secured another term as secretary general of the ruling Workers’ Party, reaffirming his control over the country’s central political institution as Pyongyang prepares a new five year policy program combining economic goals with continued military development.
State media said the re election took place on Sunday during the fourth day of the party congress, a gathering convened roughly every five years to review performance and set national direction.
Delegates also selected members of the Central Committee and approved revisions to internal party rules, though official reports did not specify the changes.
Kim has led North Korea since the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, in 2011. In 2019, the country’s legislature amended the constitution to formalize his authority over state affairs, consolidating the positions of party leadership and head of state.
During the congress, Kim reviewed the government’s work over the previous five year period and laid out priorities for the next cycle.
Addressing delegates at the opening session, he described recent years as a “proud period … in implementing the socialist cause of our own style,” while acknowledging pressure from international sanctions and the effects of the global health crisis.
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He told party members the country faced “heavy and urgent historic tasks” focused on raising living standards and reorganizing economic activity. “This requires us to wage a more active and persistent struggle without allowing even a moment’s standstill or stagnation,” he said in remarks carried by the Korean Central News Agency.
Other senior officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, also spoke during the gathering.
North Korea’s leadership has historically prioritized military strength, particularly its nuclear weapons program, even during periods of food shortages and economic hardship.
Since taking power, Kim has sought to combine defense development with gradual economic improvement, presenting both as necessary for national survival.
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Ahead of the congress, he attended a ceremony displaying newly produced rocket launchers capable of carrying nuclear payloads, praising the systems as a major addition to the country’s deterrence capability and warning adversaries of their destructive potential.
At the same time, Kim told delegates the country had overcome what he called its “worst difficulties” and was entering a stage of renewed confidence, signaling a continued attempt to balance economic messaging with demonstrations of military capacity.
The party congress will conclude with policy directives expected to guide government planning and resource allocation for the coming years, including industrial output targets, agricultural production and defense modernization.
