Kim Jong Un re-elected leader of North Korea’s ruling party in rare meeting

North Korea’s ruling Worker’s Party has again chosen Kim Jong Un to be its general secretary, state media report.

The decision came on Sunday – four days into its rare party congress, which is typically held once every five years.

Kim’s re-election was the “unanimous desire of all the delegates”, KCNA reported. It also said that under Kim’s leadership, North Korea “radically improved” its “war deterrence”, “with the nuclear forces as its pivot”.

The party congress offers a rare glimpse into the structure of political power in North Korea, which remains highly secretive even to the keenest watchers.

There are 5,000 party members attending the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party, which commenced on 19 February, according to KCNA.

While Kim has remained at the top of North Korean leadership, the party congress’s presidium – its executive committee – has been reshuffled since the last meeting in 2021. More than half of its 39 members have been replaced, according to state media.

The meetings, widely considered to be North Korea’s most important political event, also provide insights to where the country’s priorities lie, from foreign policy to its nuclear ambitions.

Ahead of the party congress, where Kim is expected to announce the next phase of the country’s nuclear weapons programme, North Korea unveiled a range of nuclear-capable rocket launchers.

In his opening speech last week, Kim vowed to boost the country’s economy and people’s standard of living, which he described as “heavy and urgent historic tasks”.

And all eyes are on whether Kim’s daughter, Ju Ae, will make an appearance.

Earlier this month, South Korea’s spy agency said that Kim had chosen Ju Ae as his heir. Kim Ju Ae, believed to be 13 years old, has become an increasingly prominent figure at official events – inspecting missiles and attending Beijing’s military parade with her father.

By BBC News