Kim Jong-un has been reelected as General Secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of North Korea. This news does not come as a surprise to anyone because it is part of a meticulously orchestrated theater, a ceremonial act on a stage, the ninth edition of the Party Congress, which functions more as a propaganda act than a forum for debate.
The votes, the elections of the Central Committee, and the announced internal rule modifications are carefully rehearsed gestures to show unity and discipline, while the internal political reality remains unchanged: Kim continues to be the absolute leader of the country, with total control over the State, the Party, and the military.
On Sunday, the fourth day of a congress held every five years, the state agency KCNA reported that Kim was reelected and that a vote was held to elect the members of the Central Committee, the most important internal power organ after the supreme leader, without revealing specific details.
Since the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, in 2011, Kim has consolidated monolithic power, reinforced in 2019 by constitutional changes that formally established him as head of state and granted him full authority over all matters of the country.
"The decision was made in accordance with the unbreakable will and unanimous desire of all delegates," the KCNA statement said. "Under his leadership, the country's military deterrence, with nuclear forces as the core, has significantly improved."
The agency acknowledged Kim for strengthening the country's military capability, stating that the armed forces are ready to respond to possible threats and that the nuclear deterrence capability "has significantly strengthened despite serious challenges".
According to international observers, this year's Congress is serving as a forum where Kim is outlining the economic and military goals for the next decade. In his opening speech, the leader described the previous period as a "period of pride in the implementation of the socialist cause in our own style," while acknowledging external challenges such as international sanctions.
"Today, our Party faces the heavy and urgent historic tasks of promoting economic construction and the people's standard of living and transforming all areas of state and social life as soon as possible," Kim said. "This requires us to undertake a more active and persistent struggle, without allowing a single moment of stagnation."
During the Congress, the end date of which is unknown, state media cited the intervention of other high-ranking officials, such as Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, who reinforced the narrative of unity and discipline that the regime seeks to display to its own elite and the international community.
With these meetings in Pyongyang, Kim seeks to strengthen his authority, reconfigure the internal structure of the Party, and project an image of a strong, resilient country determined to maintain its strategic independence. However, North Korea remains isolated, with strictly controlled borders and limited international relations with only a handful of allies, especially with Russia.
It is expected that, at the end of the Congress, Kim will reveal what he has called "the next phase" of the country's nuclear weapons program. Also, a large military parade is expected to be held, always closely monitored by satellites and international analysts. On many occasions, these events have been used to present new missiles, drones, and tactical systems.