SEOUL(The COW News Digital)North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been re-elected as general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party, state media reported Monday, following a rare multi-day party congress. The decision was made Sunday, described by the Korean Central News Agency as reflecting “the unshakable will and unanimous desire of all delegates.”
KCNA highlighted that under Kim’s leadership, “the war deterrence of the country with the nuclear forces as its pivot has been radically improved,” reaffirming North Korea’s focus on military strength. The congress, held once every five years, directs state policies ranging from infrastructure to military planning, offering rare insight into the secretive nation.
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Opening the congress on Thursday, Kim pledged to raise living standards, acknowledging the economic strains imposed by international sanctions. “Our party is faced with heavy and urgent historic tasks of boosting economic construction and the people’s standard of living and transforming all realms of state and social life as early as possible,” he said.
Since taking power in 2011, Kim has emphasized economic development alongside nuclear advancement, a shift from previous decades when military power was prioritized even amid famine. At the 2021 congress, he admitted mistakes in “almost all areas” of economic planning.
KCNA also reported that the party voted to revise its rules to consolidate ranks and ensure impartial enforcement of discipline, strengthening internal control. This marks only the ninth Workers’ Party congress under the Kim family’s rule, which had been suspended under Kim Jong Il and revived in 2016.
The congress additionally signals the next phase of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. It provides Kim another platform to reinforce his absolute authority and further the personality cult that dominates the reclusive state.
