Ruling Worker’s party announces plans for major convention in May amid suggestions that Kim Jong-un is planning leadership reshuffle and policy shift

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

North Korea has announced that it will hold a high-level national convention in May, the first such gathering in 35 years.

State media reported that a seventh Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party would be convened because the North was faced with “the heavy yet sacred task” of building a “thriving” nation. It didn’t elaborate on what will be discussed.

Analyst Cheong Seong-chang of the private Sejong Institute in South Korea said the announcement suggested that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would use the congress to reshuffle party officials, bolster his grip on power and present significant new state policies.

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Since taking power after the death of his dictator father in late 2011, Kim has been struggling to revive his country’s economy and grappling with an international standoff over the North’s nuclear and missile programmes. He rules the country together with a slew of high-profile posts, including the first secretary of the Workers’ Party.

The Workers’ Party last held its congress in 1980, when Kim’s father Kim Jong-il made his political debut with an appearance that confirmed he was in line to succeed his father, the country’s founder Kim Il-sung. Previous congresses have been used to elect top party officials, adopt party regulations and discuss major state policies, according to Seoul’s Unification Ministry.

North and South Korea remain divided along the world’s most heavily fortified border since their 1950-53 Korean war ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.