North Korea announced significant achievements in implementing key policies over the past five years during its ongoing party congress. Led by Kim Jong-un, the country conducted a policy review session on the second day of the Workers’ Party of Korea’s ninth congress. This event, the most significant since 2021, is expected to reveal future policy directions.
The party congress, which began with a high-profile gathering on Thursday, aims to outline major policy directions for the next five years in areas such as diplomacy, defense, and the economy. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea has successfully executed crucial policy plans across various fields during this transformative period.
The KCNA emphasized the remarkable successes, experiences, and lessons learned in politics, economy, culture, defense, and diplomacy. These achievements are seen as a foundation for further advancements and successes in the future. However, North Korea has not provided specific details regarding its policies toward South Korea and the United States.
The party congress has drawn attention from policymakers in Seoul and Washington, given the expressed willingness of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and former US President Donald Trump to engage in diplomatic talks with Pyongyang. Kim Jong-un, in his address on the first day of the congress, highlighted economic progress made in the past five years and reaffirmed North Korea’s consolidated status as an “irreversible” entity.
Kim’s stance on inter-Korean relations was clear, defining them as relations between two hostile states and rejecting reconciliation and unification with South Korea. Despite overtures for dialogue from Lee and Trump, North Korea has not responded positively to these initiatives.
