The Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) concluded in Pyongyang this week, with leader Kim Jong Un outlining a comprehensive five-year plan to advance the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) economic and military objectives. The roadmap, detailed in Kim's work review report, emphasizes self-reliance in defense, technological modernization, and sectoral reforms while addressing regional security concerns.
Kim declared the previous economic development plan fulfilled, highlighting progress in socialist construction and nuclear capabilities. The new strategy prioritizes consolidating key industries, improving light industry product quality, and restructuring agricultural production. Emerging sectors like information technology and tourism were also identified as growth areas.
On defense, Kim reaffirmed plans to expand nuclear arsenals and develop advanced weapon systems, including AI-driven unmanned attack platforms and next-generation missile technologies. The DPRK leader characterized inter-Korean relations as 'hostile state-to-state' dynamics, ruling out dialogue with the Republic of Korea (ROK) while criticizing U.S. military activities in Asia as destabilizing.
Kim stated that normalized DPRK-U.S. relations remain contingent on Washington abandoning its 'hostile policy,' warning of proportional responses to continued confrontation. The address concluded with calls for regional development acceleration and core technology investments to meet long-term strategic goals.
