'Party Congress Opens' Kim Jongun: "Brimming with Optimism and Confidence About the Future...State Status Is Irreversible"

"South Korea Hands" Kim Yongchol and Ri Sonkwon Omitted from Party Executive...
Choe Sonhui and Kim Yojeong Included

North Korea convened the Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, its largest political event held every five years, on the 19th. State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jongun heaped praise on himself, claiming that the country had "achieved remarkable, comprehensive, and epoch-making successes" in every field, including politics, the economy, national defense, and culture. In particular, he displayed strong confidence in his diplomatic achievements, stating that "even from an external perspective, we have brought about a major change in the global political landscape and in our country's influence within it by irreversibly and firmly consolidating the state's status."

North Korea opened the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party on the 19th at the Pyongyang 4.25 Cultural Center with State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un in attendance, Korean Central TV reported on the 20th. [Korean Central TV footage] 2026.2.20 Yonhap News

On the 20th, the Korean Central News Agency reported that the 9th Party Congress opened the previous day in Pyongyang with 5,000 people in attendance. The number of participants is the same as at the previous Party Congress. According to the outlet, in his opening address Kim said, "There has never been a time when we have achieved such great successes as in the past five years," adding, "We are approaching the Party Congress filled with optimism and confidence about the future. Everything has fundamentally changed." He repeatedly used words such as "achievement" and "success" throughout his speech. This stands in stark contrast to the 8th Party Congress five years ago, when he acknowledged the "failure of economic policy." At that time, Kim wore a people's suit, whereas this time he appeared in a suit and tie.

Kim did not deliver any concrete messages toward South Korea or the United States on this day. Looking back on the past five years, he only used the phrase "the barbaric blockade and sanctions maneuvers of hostile forces." In past Party Congresses, which have lasted as briefly as four days and as long as twelve, external messages have typically been delivered around the third day, so they are expected to be released in the near future.

However, it is noteworthy that all of the so-called "South Korea line," including Kim Yongchol and Ri Sonkwon, were excluded from the list of Party executive members announced that day. Kim Yojeong, Kim's younger sister and vice department director, was reappointed to the executive body, and Foreign Minister Choe Sonhui, who played a key role in the process of tightening North Korea-Russia relations, was also included. While touting his own achievements, Kim also stressed that they were "great gains brought about by the devoted struggle of the soldiers of the Korean People's Army."

Korean Central Television reported on the 20th that North Korea opened the Workers' Party of Korea's 9th Congress on the 19th at the Pyongyang 4.25 Cultural Hall with State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jongun in attendance. [Korean Central Television footage] 2026.2.20 Yonhap

Once the Party Congress closes, a military parade and a session of the Supreme People's Assembly are expected to follow as subsequent events. Particular attention is focused on whether the Supreme People's Assembly will elevate Kim's official title to "President" and whether it will concretely enshrine in the constitution the "hostile two-state theory" as the guiding line toward South Korea.

Deputy Spokesperson Jang Yoonjeong of the Ministry of Unification held a briefing at the Government Complex Seoul that day and said, "Now that the Party Congress has opened today, we will monitor related developments together with relevant agencies." Regarding the absence of the "South Korea line" from the Workers' Party executive body, she added, "The total number of executive members remains the same at 39, but 23 members have been replaced in its composition. It appears that South Korea-related officials have been removed, but we will refrain from offering any particular assessment on this."

Meanwhile, China and Russia, allies of North Korea, sent congratulatory messages on the occasion of this Party Congress. China sent a congratulatory message the previous day in the name of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, while Russia, on the 18th, sent a message in the name of Dmitry Medvedev, Chairman of United Russia and a close associate of President Vladimir Putin, stating that "(the Russia-North Korea) strategic partnership is based on a longstanding tradition of friendship and cooperation" and expressing the hope that "trust-based dialogue between the two parties will continue to deepen across the broadest possible range of issues, including those of mutual interest," according to the Korean Central News Agency. According to the Ministry of Unification, the congratulatory message from the Chinese side is similar to that sent at the 8th Party Congress, while it is understood that this is the first time a congratulatory message has been sent by the Chairman of United Russia.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.