Kim Jong Un vows to boost living standards as he opens rare congress

The Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), an event of immense symbolic and practical significance, commenced in the grand House of Culture in Pyongyang, marking only the ninth such gathering under the Kim family’s decades-long rule. Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, inheriting a legacy of absolute power, took centre stage with a lengthy opening speech that underscored the party’s "heavy and urgent historic tasks" of boosting economic construction and improving the people’s standard of living. This rare, days-long congress serves as one of the few windows into the inner workings of the reclusive nation, where even mundane details are typically shrouded in impenetrable secrecy, making every official pronouncement and visual cue a subject of intense international scrutiny.

In his address, delivered before thousands of party elites, Kim articulated a comprehensive agenda aimed at "transforming all realms of state and social life as early as possible." He emphasised the necessity for "a more active and persistent struggle without allowing even a moment’s standstill or stagnation," a rhetorical flourish characteristic of North Korean leadership that nevertheless highlights a palpable sense of urgency regarding the nation’s economic predicament. For decades, particularly under his father Kim Jong Il’s "Songun" (military-first) policy, the pursuit of nuclear weapons and military prowess overshadowed all other priorities, often at the devastating cost of civilian welfare, famously culminating in the devastating famine of the 1990s, known as the "Arduous March."

However, since assuming power in 2011, Kim Jong Un has attempted to recalibrate this strategy. He introduced the "Byungjin" (parallel development) policy, theoretically committing to simultaneous advancements in both nuclear weapons capabilities and economic development. This congress, therefore, represents a crucial juncture for Kim to reaffirm this dual-track approach, even as the two objectives often stand in direct opposition, with the former invariably triggering international sanctions that cripple the latter.

The Supreme Leader’s latest pledges come against a backdrop of severe economic hardship, exacerbated by stringent international sanctions designed to choke off funding for Pyongyang’s illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programs. These measures, imposed by the United Nations Security Council and individual nations like the United States, target key revenue streams such as coal, textiles, and seafood exports, and restrict critical imports like refined petroleum. Furthermore, the global COVID-19 pandemic led North Korea to implement self-imposed border closures for several years, severely disrupting trade with its largest partner, China, and compounding domestic supply chain issues. Natural disasters, including floods and droughts, have also periodically ravaged the country’s agricultural sector, contributing to chronic food insecurity.

Analysts believe Kim’s emphasis on economic improvement and admissions of past failures are strategic moves to manage growing public discontent. At the last party congress in 2021, Kim made an unprecedented admission that mistakes had been made in "almost all areas" of economic development, a startling concession from a totalitarian leader. Such language is interpreted by experts as an attempt to pre-empt frustration stemming from persistent food shortages, the immense financial burden of military spending, and the nation’s controversial support for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. North Korea’s provision of artillery shells and ballistic missiles to Russia, while potentially offering some economic relief through illicit arms trade, has drawn international condemnation and further isolated the regime.

Despite these challenges, Kim Jong Un projected an image of resilience, claiming that North Korea had overcome its "worst difficulties" in the last five years and was now entering a new stage of "optimism and confidence in the future." This narrative, frequently employed in state propaganda, aims to galvanise the population and demonstrate the regime’s capacity to navigate crises, even as external observers often paint a far grimmer picture of the country’s economic reality.

Yet, Pyongyang remains steadfast in its refusal to surrender its atomic arsenal, viewing it as the ultimate guarantor of regime survival. Kim has already declared that this year’s congress will unveil the "next phase" in the nation’s nuclear weapons program, a pronouncement that signals continued defiance against international pressure. This could entail plans for the development of tactical nuclear weapons, more advanced solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles, or breakthroughs in miniaturisation technology, further escalating regional tensions and complicating any future diplomatic overtures.

The congress itself is a carefully choreographed spectacle designed to reinforce Kim’s absolute grip on power and perpetuate the ruling Kim dynasty’s cult of personality. Thousands of party delegates, meticulously selected from across the country, filled the opulent House of Culture. Footage released by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed Kim Jong Un arriving in a sleek black limousine, striding confidently into the hall flanked by top officials, and being greeted by thunderous applause as he took his central position on the imposing rostrum. The image released by KCNA via Reuters, dated February 19, 2026, captured Kim speaking with Premier Pak Thae Song, a key figure in the nation’s economic planning.

North Korea watchers meticulously scour such photographs and state media reports for clues about power dynamics within the regime. The seating arrangement—who is positioned closest to Kim, who is relegated to the back rows—is often indicative of promotions, demotions, or shifts in influence among the party elite.

Of particular interest at this congress is the potential prominence of Kim’s teenage daughter, Ju Ae. She has made several high-profile public appearances alongside her father in recent months, especially at military events, fueling speculation that she is being groomed as North Korea’s next leader. Seoul’s national intelligence service has even suggested she is the most likely heir apparent. While a female leader would be unprecedented in North Korea’s patriarchal society, her repeated visibility at significant state functions, often holding her father’s hand, suggests a deliberate effort to normalise her presence and underscore the dynastic nature of Kim family rule. Her exact role and whether she would appear at the congress itself are subjects of intense speculation among international observers.

Beyond domestic concerns, the congress also serves as a platform for North Korea to articulate its foreign policy stance. The ruling parties of China and Russia, Pyongyang’s longtime allies, sent congratulatory messages marking the start of the meeting. A telegram from the Chinese Communist Party asserted that "under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, China-DPRK relations have entered a new historical period," using North Korea’s official acronym. This sentiment was visually reinforced last year when Kim Jong Un was seen alongside China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin at a military parade in Beijing, a striking display of his elevated status within a growing anti-Western alliance.

At the previous congress five years ago, Kim famously declared the United States to be his nation’s "biggest enemy." There is keen interest in whether he might use this congress to soften this long-standing hostile stance or, more likely, to double down, given the current geopolitical climate. While US President Donald Trump had previously stepped up his courtship of Kim during a tour of Asia, expressing openness to further meetings, those high-profile summits in Singapore and Hanoi ultimately failed to yield a breakthrough on denuclearisation. Kim has largely shunned subsequent efforts to resume top-level diplomatic dialogue, seemingly convinced that engaging with Washington without substantial concessions on sanctions relief would be futile, and prioritising the strengthening of his nuclear deterrent.

As the congress unfolds over several days, global attention will remain fixed on Pyongyang, dissecting every word, image, and policy announcement. Kim Jong Un’s pledges to improve living standards will be weighed against the persistent reality of sanctions, the unwavering commitment to a costly nuclear program, and the nation’s deepening alignment with anti-Western powers. The congress, while a carefully controlled propaganda exercise, will nonetheless offer critical insights into the strategic direction of one of the world’s most enigmatic and unpredictable states.