North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party of Korea has reappointed Kim Jong Un as its general secretary during a party congress held in Pyongyang, according to state media.
The decision, announced on Sunday at the Ninth Party Congress, was widely expected, as the Kim family has ruled the country since the late 1940s. State news agency KCNA said that under Kim’s leadership, North Korea had “radically improved” its war deterrence capabilities, with nuclear forces at the center of its strategy.
Despite years of international sanctions, Pyongyang has continued to expand its nuclear weapons programme, regularly conducting tests of banned intercontinental ballistic missiles. Ahead of the congress, North Korea unveiled what it described as nuclear-capable rocket launchers. Kim is expected to outline the next phase of the country’s weapons development during the gathering.
The congress, held every five years, is considered the most important political event in North Korea and offers rare insight into the country’s opaque power structure. According to KCNA, around 5,000 party members are attending this year’s meeting. More than half of the 39-member presidium, the party’s executive committee, has reportedly been reshuffled since the last congress in 2021.
In his opening speech, Kim pledged to strengthen the country’s economy and improve living standards, calling them “heavy and urgent historic tasks.”
Attention has also focused on whether Kim’s daughter, Ju Ae, believed to be around 13 years old, will make an appearance at the congress. South Korea’s intelligence agency recently suggested she may have been chosen as his successor. Ju Ae has increasingly appeared alongside her father at major state events, including military inspections and a recent parade in Beijing attended by leaders from China and Russia.
Following Kim’s reappointment, Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly congratulated him, pledging to strengthen bilateral ties. China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner and key ally, though it has expressed concern over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions and its deepening relations with Russia.