The leadership team for North Korea’s 9th Workers’ Party Congress, the country’s most significant political event, has undergone a major overhaul, with more than half of its members replaced since the last congress five years ago.
According to Rodong Sinmun’s report on February 20, the leadership team for the 9th Party Congress, which opened the previous day, consists of 39 members led by Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of the Party. While the total number remains unchanged from the 8th Party Congress in 2021, 23 members, representing 59% of the team, have been replaced.
Similarly, during the 8th Party Congress, 29 members (74.4%) were replaced compared to the 7th Party Congress in 2016, despite maintaining the same total number.
New additions to the leadership team include Prime Minister Pak Thae-song, Party Secretaries Ri Hi-yong, Jo Chun-ryong, and Choi Dong-myung, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, Defense Minister No Kwang-chol, Deputy Prime Minister Pak Jong-gun, head of the Party’s Propaganda and Agitation Department Ju Chang-il, and head of the Party’s Agriculture Department Ju Cheol-kyu.
In contrast, several veteran figures have been excluded, including Kim Yong-chol, senior advisor to the Party’s 10th Bureau (formerly the United Front Department), former Prime Minister Pak Bong-ju, and chief economic policy advisor Oh Su-yong. This change reflects a generational shift in the congress’s leadership composition.
Key figures considered close to General Secretary Kim, such as Choe Ryung-hae, Chair of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly, along with Jo Yong-won, Ri Il-hwan, and Pak Jong-chul, have retained their positions from the 8th Party Congress.
The leadership team also includes Ri Byong-chol, chief advisor on military supply policy from the Party’s Central Committee, Kim Tok-hun, the Party’s economic secretary, and Ri Yong-gil, Chief of the General Staff, all of whom were present in the previous congress.
The absence of Kim Yong-chol, formerly known as an expert on South Korea, from the leadership team suggests a shift in North Korea’s approach towards South Korea, following its declaration of the two Koreas as hostile states in late 2023.
Conversely, the inclusion of Foreign Minister Choe indicates a centralization of North Korea’s foreign policy focus on diplomacy, particularly regarding South Korea, which it now views as a separate state.
Additionally, Kim Song-nam, who oversees party-to-party diplomacy with China, has joined the leadership team. Notably, Yang Seung-ho, the Deputy Prime Minister recently dismissed by Kim Jong Un for construction delays, has been excluded.
Speculation has surrounded the potential appearance of Ju Ae, Kim Jong Un’s daughter and rumored successor, but she has not been mentioned in the leadership list or featured in any photos released by North Korean media.
The National Intelligence Service recently reported to the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee that Ju Ae is believed to be in the designated successor and succession education phase. Some analysts had suggested she might receive an official title, such as Member of the Central Committee, during this congress.
However, given Ju Ae’s young age of 13, many experts consider it premature for her to participate in the congress.
The 9th Party Congress was attended by 5,000 representatives, including 224 members of the Party’s central leadership and 4,776 delegates elected from various party organizations. With an additional 2,000 spectators, the total attendance is estimated at around 7,000 people.
