Kim Jong Un to unveil policy goals at Party congress

North Korea will convene a major political conference later this month, the country’s state media said Sunday, where leader Kim Jong Un is expected to outline his domestic and foreign policies for the next five years.

The ruling Workers’ Party congress, which Kim previously held in 2016 and 2021, comes after years of accelerated nuclear and missile development and deepening ties with Moscow over the war in Ukraine that have increased his standoffs with the United States and South Korea.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the party’s political bureau met under Kim’s supervision and decided the congress would be held in late February. State media did not immediately specify a date or release agenda details. The congress will likely continue for days as a highly choreographed display of Kim’s authoritarian leadership.

In recent weeks, Kim has inspected weapons tests and toured military sites and economic projects as state media highlighted his purported achievements, crediting his “immortal leadership” with strengthening the country’s military capabilities and advancing national development.