North Korea amended its party charter during the 9th Workers’ Party Congress. However, it remains unclear whether the revised charter explicitly addresses the shift in foreign policy, particularly regarding the characterization of inter-Korean relations as hostile states. The public has yet to see any speeches from Kim Jong Un or decisions made at the congress related to foreign messaging.
On Monday, the party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on the fourth day of the congress. According to the newspaper, the meeting focused on discussions and the adoption of a resolution regarding the second agenda item: Amendment of the Party Charter.
Through this resolution, North Korea confirmed the Five Major Lines for Party Construction in a New Era as a Permanent Line for Party Construction within its charter. These lines were first introduced by Kim during a speech at the Party Central Cadres School in October 2022. They encompass the party’s goals in political, organizational, ideological, disciplinary, and work-style construction.
The newspaper also stated that the party has established a unified leadership system for party construction and activities. It has clearly defined the powers and operational systems of the party’s central leadership bodies, emphasizing the principle of strengthening centralized discipline. The report added that some sections of the resolution were revised to enhance institutional mechanisms aimed at consolidating party ranks and ensuring fair application of party discipline, thereby improving party operations.
The resolution did not include any other amendments. Despite speculation that North Korea might use this congress to remove references to nation and unification from the charter and formalize a two-state relationship with South Korea, the newspaper’s report did not mention such changes.
However, as the congress is still ongoing, there remains a possibility that North Korea will release further details on the charter or additional amendments.
During the meeting, Kim was re-elected to his highest position as General Secretary of the Workers’ Party.
The party congress resolution titled On the Election of the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea stated that a significant decision was made to elect the leader of the Workers’ Party of Korea. It expressed overwhelming support for the proposal to re-elect Kim to the party’s top position. The proposal was presented by Ri Il-hwan, the party’s propaganda secretary.
The resolution highlighted Kim’s achievements, including the development of a revolutionary armed force prepared for any invasion threats and forms of warfare. It also emphasized the significant enhancement of the country’s war deterrence capabilities, centered on its nuclear arsenal.
North Korea’s party charter stipulates that the congress, held every five years, elects a general secretary who represents the party and leads the entire party organization. Kim’s title changed from Chairman of the Workers’ Party to General Secretary of the Workers’ Party during the 8th Party Congress. This change was interpreted as a move to transition from a Party Committee system to a Party Secretariat system.
On the fourth day of the congress, North Korea addressed all major agenda items, including a summary report of the past five years’ activities, key discussions, amendments to the party charter, and the election of new central committee members. The party is expected to finalize the resolution and publicly announce it through state media.
The international community will likely gain insight into North Korea’s new foreign policy and other key issues once the resolution is released. Rodong Sinmun indicated that congress representatives will conduct research and discussions on plans for each sector to be reflected in the congress resolution, suggesting ongoing work to complete the document.
During a regular briefing on the same day, South Korean Unification Ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho noted that the media has reported on the content of the congress up to the fourth day, but overall, foreign messaging has been minimized, and the disclosure of meeting content has also been kept to a minimum.