The Labor Party Congress is North Korea's Supreme Decision-Making Body

Choson Central News Agency reported on the 6th that the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party opened in Pyongyang on the 5th.

The Workers' Party Congress is North Korea's official highest decision-making body. Through this congress, the state establishes its line, strategy, and policies, and appoints key personnel.

Article 11 of the North Korean Constitution states that "all activities are conducted under the leadership of the Workers' Party," clearly indicating that state organs such as the Supreme People's Assembly, equivalent to South Korea's National Assembly, and the Cabinet, the administrative body, are under the leadership and control of the Workers' Party. Article 21 of the Party Charter also specifies that the Party Congress is the party's highest leadership institution.

The Party Congress was held relatively regularly during Chairman Kim Il-sung's early rule, but it was not convened even once under Kim Jong-il's regime. Chairman Kim Jong-un revived the Party Congress by holding the 7th Congress in 2016, his fifth year in power. It took a full 36 years from the 6th Congress during Kim Il-sung's era to the 7th Party Congress.

At the Party Plenary Meeting in August last year, Chairman Kim clearly stated the regular convening of the Party Congress, saying, "The Party Congress should be convened regularly to determine the line, strategy, and tactical measures guiding the era and revolutionary development, and the party's leadership institutions that can guarantee their implementation should be organized and reinforced."

The regularization of the Party Congress is interpreted as reflecting Chairman Kim's will for 'normalization of the state' and his intention to establish a 'system governance structure.' The National Intelligence Service reported to the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee in August last year that Kim Jong-un is practicing 'delegated governance' by transferring authority to some close aides, including his younger sister Kim Yo-jong.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.