Kim Jong Un Re-Elected as Leader of Workers’ Party
Kim Jong Un has been re-elected as general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party, extending his grip on power as North Korea prepares to outline the next stage of its weapons programme.
The decision was announced on Sunday during the fourth day of the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. According to the state news agency, the Korean Central News Agency, the move reflected the “unshakable will and unanimous desire” of delegates.
The congress, held every five years, is one of the rare moments when the secretive state reveals details about its leadership and direction. Around 5,000 party members attended the gathering, which sets policy on everything from economic plans to military strategy.
KCNA credited Kim with strengthening the country’s military power, saying that the nation’s “war deterrence” had been “radically improved” with nuclear forces at its core. Despite heavy international sanctions, North Korea has continued developing its weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that are banned under UN resolutions.
Ahead of the congress, Kim presided over the unveiling of multiple nuclear-capable rocket launchers, calling them “wonderful” and “attractive”. He added: “When this weapon is used, actually, no force would be able to expect God’s protection.”
While the regime has long prioritised nuclear weapons, Kim has also put renewed focus on the struggling economy. Opening the congress last week, he described the challenges facing the country.
“Today, 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.
He urged officials to push forward without pause, saying: “This requires us to wage a more active and persistent struggle without allowing even a moment’s standstill or stagnation.”
Kim, who took over after the death of his father Kim Jong Il in 2011, has ruled for 15 years and further cemented his authority through constitutional changes that formalised his position as head of state.
During this year’s congress, several top party bodies were reshuffled and internal rules were revised in moves seen as reinforcing party discipline and tightening control. It is only the ninth time such a congress has been held under the Kim family’s decades-long rule.
Attention has also turned to Kim’s daughter, Ju Ae, amid speculation about succession, though it remains unclear whether she will make an appearance at the event.
Kim is expected to use the congress to lay out the next phase of North Korea’s nuclear strategy, signalling that weapons development will remain central to the country’s path forward.
