North Korea discusses draft proposals of five-year policy goals at key congress
Published: 25 Feb. 2026, 09:23
![Officials attend sectoral meetings during the ninth Workers’ Party congress in Pyongyang on Feb. 23 to discuss goals and plans for the party, as reported by Korean Central Television on Feb. 24. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/25/81bc4e18-3e5b-43f2-8924-b98d4771f0a4.jpg)
Officials attend sectoral meetings during the ninth Workers’ Party congress in Pyongyang on Feb. 23 to discuss goals and plans for the party, as reported by Korean Central Television on Feb. 24. [YONHAP]
North Korea's ongoing party congress discussed five-year plans and goals for key sectors, including national defense and foreign affairs, on the sixth day of the party gathering, state media reported Wednesday.
"Study and consultative meetings in various fields," including the economy and party work, were held the previous day at the congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Korean News Central Agency (KCNA) said.
Still, the North's state media made no mention of foreign policy as the first party congress in five years nears its conclusion after it opened last Thursday to review policy outcomes from the previous congress and set new goals for the next five years.
Once the new policy directions are finalized, the North is expected to unveil them in the closing session of the congress.
"The consultative meetings [...] intensified the discussion on the orientation and plans of the work of different sectors and units," the KCNA said. "[They] discussed in detail the realistic proposals for achieving gradual and qualitative development.
"The discussion focused on ensuring the scientific accuracy and innovative nature in applying the general goal and principle of the five-year strategy," the KCNA also said.
The report said the meetings also discussed "technical measures" for each sector to propel the development of "the self-supporting national economy, the capital city construction and the regional development policy-oriented construction."
"The results of the collective discussion are submitted to the committee for drafting the decision of the Party Congress," it said.
Officials attend sectoral meetings during the ninth Workers’ Party congress in Pyongyang on Feb. 23 to discuss goals and plans for the party, as reported by Korean Central Television on Feb. 24. [YONHAP]
Whether the North will issue a message in response to overtures from Washington and Seoul to resume talks remains a key point of attention, as the upcoming five-year plan is expected to outline policy directions on relations with the United States and South Korea.
The party's previous five-year plan at the 8th congress came among tighter U.S. and UN sanctions and economic difficulties amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The North answered with inward-looking plans to build economic resilience across industries with a renewed commitment to "socialist development."
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in a speech on Monday that the North will focus on the general goals of stabilizing and consolidating its economy and bringing in "gradual qualitative development" over the next five years.
BY KIM JU-YEON, YONHAP [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)