Kim Jong Un to issue policy goals at North Korea party congress in February — What's expected?

North Korea’s state media said on Sunday that the country will hold a key political meeting later this month, during which leader Kim Jong Un is expected to present plans for domestic and foreign policy over the next five years, as reported by the Associated Press.

The congress of the ruling Workers’ Party—previously convened by Kim in 2016 and 2021—follows years of rapid advances in nuclear and missile programs, as well as closer relations with Moscow amid the war in Ukraine, developments that have intensified tensions with the United States and South Korea.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the party’s political bureau met under Kim's supervision and decided the congress would be held in late February.

State media did not immediately specify a date or release agenda details.

In recent weeks, he has overseen weapons tests and visited military installations and economic projects, with state media emphasising his claimed accomplishments and attributing gains in military strength and national development to his “immortal leadership.”

His recent activities and comments suggest Kim will use the congress to double down on economic development through “self-sustenance” and mass mobilisation while announcing plans to further expand the capabilities of his nuclear-armed military, including upgrading conventional weapons systems and integrating them with nuclear forces, as reported by AP.

It remains uncertain whether Kim is open to renewing talks with the United States. Diplomatic efforts collapsed in 2019 following his second summit with then–President Donald Trump, when negotiations broke down over sanctions tied to North Korea’s nuclear program.

Since Trump began his second term in January 2025, Kim has rebuffed his attempts to restart dialogue, maintaining that Washington must first drop its insistence that North Korea give up its nuclear weapons before any future negotiations can take place.

Now in his 15th year in power, Kim appears far more secure than he was at the opening of the last party congress in 2021, which took place amid the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, AP reported.

At that time—widely viewed as the most challenging period of his decade-long rule—Kim admitted that earlier economic strategies had fallen short and unveiled a new five-year development plan extending through 2025.

He called for accelerated development of his nuclear arsenal and issued an extensive wish list of sophisticated assets including solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles, multi-warhead systems, tactical nuclear weapons, spy satellites and nuclear-powered submarines.

Kim has exploited geopolitical turmoil to his advantage. He used Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a window to accelerate weapons testing and align himself with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has accepted thousands of North Korean troops and large quantities of military equipment for the war.

Kim also has pursued closer ties with China, traditionally the North’s primary ally and economic lifeline. He travelled to Beijing in September for a World War II event and the first summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in six years, AP reported.

Although Kim’s tight control over information makes exact evaluations difficult, South Korean analysts say North Korea’s economy seems to have strengthened over the past five years, potentially aided by a gradual rebound in trade with China and increased industrial activity linked to weapons exports to Russia.

(With inputs from AP)