Kim Jong Un hails 'radical successes' at North Korea's key party congress
North Korea's leader opened the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party, held once every five years, praising achievements over the past five years.
12 hrs ago
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un opened the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party on Thursday in Pyongyang, state media reported Friday. The congress, held roughly once every five years, is one of the country's most important political events.
Thousands of delegates and party elites gathered at the House of Culture in the capital for the opening session. The congress is expected to set Kim's domestic and foreign policy agendas for the coming five years and will involve reviewing policy performance, revising party rules, and electing new leadership.
In his speech, Kim praised what he described as major achievements over the past five years. State media quoted him as hailing the "notable, comprehensive and radical successes" achieved since the previous congress in 2021. Kim said North Korea had overcome its "worst difficulties" since that last gathering, which took place during the global economic downturn from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kim portrayed the period as one of transformation despite international sanctions and economic hardship. He stated that the country was now entering a new stage of "optimism and confidence in the future." According to state media, Kim said, "Never has there been a period like this, in which we achieved such great successes despite the harshness of trials and difficulties."
The North Korean leader contrasted his current message with remarks he made five years earlier. At the opening of the previous congress in 2021, Kim had acknowledged the "enormous failure" of his economic plan. "However, everything has fundamentally changed today," he said in his Thursday speech, according to state media reports.
Kim praised his nation's improving economy and regional standing. He outlined tasks ahead for the party, stating, "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."