North Korea's ruling party re-elects Kim Jong Un general secretary for bolstering nuclear power

North Korea's Workers' Party has re-elected Kim Jong Un as general secretary, praising his leadership in strengthening the military and boosting the country's international standing. The party also elected Central Committee members and revised its rules during the ongoing congress.

REUTERS

23 February 2026 at 03:23:41

North Korea's ruling party re-elects Kim Jong Un general secretary for bolstering nuclear power

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un applauds as he attends the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) where he was re-elected as general secretary, in Pyongyang, North Korea, February 22, 2026

KCNA / Reuters

SEOUL – North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party has re-elected Kim Jong Un as its general secretary during the fourth day of its party congress, state news agency KCNA reported Monday.

In its report, KCNA praised Kim for boosting the country’s international prestige, creating a favorable environment for its revolutionary goals, and transforming the military “into an elite and powerful army.”

The agency also highlighted that under Kim’s leadership, “the war deterrence of the country with the nuclear forces as its pivot has been radically improved.”

During the congress, members of the party Central Committee were elected, and revisions to the party rules were adopted, though KCNA did not provide details on the changes.

The ninth Workers’ Party Congress, typically held every five years over several days, opened on Thursday. South Korea is closely monitoring the meetings for any indications of new domestic or foreign policy directions.

-Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Diane Craft/Reuters