Kim Jongun Re-elected as General Secretary...Experts See "Consolidation of Power"

Kim Jongun, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, has been re-elected as General Secretary of the Workers' Party, the party's highest position. At the same time, North Korea stressed its intention to further strengthen its line as a country that places its nuclear forces at the core.

Kim Jongun, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, is delivering the opening address at the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea held at the Pyongyang April 25 House of Culture on the 19th. [Korean Central Television footage] 2026.2.20 Yonhap News

According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 23rd, North Korea announced that on the previous day, at the fourth-day session of the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman Kim was unanimously elected as General Secretary. The outlet reported, "At the proposal of Ri Ilhwan (Party Secretary), the most important and responsible decision was adopted," and added, "All the delegates expressed their complete support and approval by erupting into enthusiastic cheers of 'manse' with a single-hearted loyalty, as they continued to uphold Comrade Kim Jongun unchanged at the supreme position of our Party (...)."

In accordance with the Workers' Party rules, the General Secretary is elected at the Party Congress, which is held every five years. In the early years of his rule, Kim held the title of "First Secretary"; at the 7th Party Congress in 2016, his title was changed to "Chairman," and then at the 8th Party Congress in 2021, the title of "General Secretary" was restored and he was elected to the post.

The decision to re-elect Chairman Kim stated that he "has vigorously led the work to turn the Korean People's Army, the backbone of national defense and the pillar of safeguarding peace, into an elite and powerful force, thereby building revolutionary armed forces that can proactively respond to any invasion threat and are fully prepared for any form of war," and that "even amid the stern challenges of history, the war deterrent of the country, which places nuclear forces at its core, has been drastically enhanced."

Regarding this, Im Eulchul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, analyzed, "Unlike at the 8th Congress, when he was elected as the title of 'General Secretary' was restored, this time they have adopted the format of 're-election' based on the achievements of the past five years," adding, "This suggests that the consolidation of power has reached its final stage." He went on to say, "It is a declaration that the Kim Jongun regime has ended its 'crisis-management mode' and entered a confident 'stable long-term rule system.'"

He further noted that expressions in the decision such as "has extraordinarily elevated the dignity and authority" and "irreplaceable by anyone" mean that Kim Jongun has been placed in the ranks of an absolute leader equal to, or even above, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. He predicted, "After his re-election, Kim Jongun's system of direct rule will be further strengthened, and through the election of members and alternate members of the Party Central Committee, young, loyal, and practical-minded bureaucrats will be deployed to front-line positions, accelerating the completion of 'Kim Jongun-style socialism.'"

Meanwhile, since the Congress opened on the 19th, reports on the review of the Party's work have continued, but no separate external message has yet been issued. The outlet reported that the Workers' Party rules were revised at the session that day, but details such as whether the principle of treating South Korea as a "hostile separate state" was codified have not been made public.