Kim Jong-un re-elected as general secretary of North Korea's ruling party
Published: 23 Feb. 2026, 09:08
![North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends the congress of the Workers' Party of Korea on Feb. 22, the fourth day of the first congress since 2021, in this Korean Central News Agency photo published the following day. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/23/722ded38-c849-4eeb-bfc5-a0f0d6537aca.jpg)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends the congress of the Workers' Party of Korea on Feb. 22, the fourth day of the first congress since 2021, in this Korean Central News Agency photo published the following day. [YONHAP]
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been re-elected as general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, according to state media.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday that a decision to that effect was adopted during the fourth-day session of the Ninth Party Congress held on Sunday.
The resolution said there was “unshakable” consent from participants in the proposal to re-elect Kim Jong-un to the party’s top post.
It also credited Kim with strengthening the country’s military capabilities, saying the armed forces are prepared to respond to potential threats and that North Korea’s nuclear-based deterrent has been significantly enhanced despite what it called serious challenges.
Under party rules, the Workers’ Party of Korea elects its general secretary — who represents and leads the entire party — at a congress held every five years.
At the start of his rule, Kim held the title of “first secretary.” The title was changed to "chairman" at the Seventh Party Congress in 2016, then to "general secretary" at the Eighth Party Congress in 2021.
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 KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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