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North expected to open 9th Congress soon amid speculation over Kim Jong-un adopting 'president' title

Published: 06 Feb. 2026, 15:49

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the 13th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang on Sept. 22, 2025. [YONHAP]

The 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which will determine North Korea’s domestic and foreign policy direction for the next five years, is expected to open soon.

The party congress is widely seen as a key indicator of the prospects for dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington under a second Donald Trump administration as well as the future of inter-Korean relations.

Another major point of attention is whether the presidency system will be restored as part of efforts to further consolidate leadership under Kim Jong-un.

North Korea’s state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on Friday on a groundbreaking ceremony for construction projects under the Regional Development Policy in Nakwon County in central South Hamgyong, but did not disclose any schedule related to the party congress.

Observers say Pyongyang appears to be delaying an official announcement to heighten dramatic effect while focusing on showcasing internal achievements.

Signs that the party congress is imminent have been increasingly detected through commercial satellite imagery. Large red decorations were installed on the exterior walls of the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang, according to images released by NK News, a U.S.-based media outlet focused on North Korea, on Wednesday.

The decorations are believed to be hangings for portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong-il. Similar red decorations were spotted five days before the opening of the 8th Party Congress in 2021. In addition, soldiers were seen rehearsing sickle-and-hammer formations at the Mirim training ground near Pyongyang, indicating preparations for a military parade.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and U.S. President Donald Trump speak as they meet on the North Korean side of the military demarcation line near the border village of Panmunjom on June 30, 2019. [YONHAP]

In North Korea’s party-state system, the party congress is the highest decision-making body, setting the direction of state governance and major policy lines. Since the first party congress on Aug. 1, 1946, eight such congresses have been held, with the most recent one taking place in January 2021.

At the 6th Party Congress held in October 1980, Kim Jong-il was officially declared the successor to Kim Il Sung. However, Kim Jong-il did not convene a single party congress during his rule, reinforcing his image as a reclusive leader.

By contrast, Kim Jong-un revived the party congress in 2016 after a 36-year hiatus with the 7th Congress. Since then, a five-year cycle has taken root.

The 7th Party Congress chaired by Kim Jong-un lasted four days, while the 8th ran for eight days, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Unification.

The 9th Congress is expected to follow a sequence of Kim’s opening address and declaration of the opening, elections of the presidium and secretariat, approval of the agenda, work reports by party central bodies by sector including the economy and the military, discussions and decisions on revising party rules, elections of central leadership bodies, adoption of the work report and Kim’s closing address.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the opening ceremony of the Samgwang Livestock Farm in North Phyongan, North Korea on Feb. 2. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]

During the 8th Congress, Kim was elevated to the position of general secretary on the sixth day.

One of the main points to watch at the 9th Congress will be Kim Jong-un’s external message. As the 9th Congress, covering 2026 to 2030, overlaps with the second Trump administration’s term from 2025 to 2029, Kim may outline more concrete conditions for dialogue with the United States in his speech.

In September last year, Kim said that if the United States abandons its “obsession with denuclearization” and seeks “peaceful coexistence based on reality,” there is no reason it cannot engage with North Korea.

Regarding its policy toward the South, it's possible there will be additional references to the concept of “two hostile states.” Experts are also paying attention to whether Pyongyang will attempt to recalibrate its relations with Russia and China.

North Korean officials are seen during a groundbreaking ceremony for construction projects under the Regional Development Policy in Nakwon County in central South Hamgyong, North Korea on Feb. 5. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]

On the domestic front, Kim may present new tasks related to nuclear weapons or the modernization of conventional arms. At the 8th Congress, he formally laid out a five-year plan for defense capability development, including the prioritized pursuit of five key strategic weapons programs such as solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

In October last year, during a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the party’s founding, North Korea unveiled the solid-fuel-based Hwasong-20 ICBM, calling it the “most powerful nuclear strategic weapons system.”

After the official schedule of the party congress concludes, Kim is expected to attend a celebratory grand performance and a commemorative military parade with family members including daughter Kim Ju-ae.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump are seen during their summit in Hanoi, Vietnam on Feb. 28, 2019. [YONHAP]

North Korea is also expected to convene a meeting of the Supreme People’s Assembly, during which procedures to elevate Kim Jong-un to the position of president could take place.

On this point, North Korea-focused website 38 North predicted that through the Ninth Party Congress and the Supreme People’s Assembly, Kim’s title of “President of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” could be formalized.

Since September 2024, North Korea has referred to Kim as the “head of state,” a designation that aligns with the role of president as stipulated in the country's 1974 and 1992 constitutions.

If Kim adopts the title of president, it would mark the first time in 32 years since the death of his grandfather Kim Il Sung in 1994. The move would be seen as part of efforts to further solidify leadership under the Kim Jong-un administration.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]

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North expected to open 9th Congress soon amid speculation over Kim Jong-un adopting 'president' title

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