▲ North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un presides over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea on Feb. 7, 2026, in this image captured from footage of the North's state-run TV station. At the meeting, North Korea decided to hold a key party congress in late February. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

N Korea-military anniversary

N. Korea's Kim visits defense ministry to mark army founding anniv. ahead of key party congress

By Kim Soo-yeon

SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited the defense ministry to mark the 78th founding anniversary of the military, saying that the North Korean army will further play an "outstanding" role in the next five years, state media reported Monday.

Kim made a congratulatory visit to the Ministry of National Defense the previous day to mark the 78th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army (KPA), according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

His visit came ahead of the North's key party congress set for late February, where Kim is expected to announce his major policies on the military, diplomacy, the economy and other areas for the next five years.

In a speech Sunday, the North's leader said the year 2026 will be a year of "tremendous transformation" for the KPA as the front of its fighting will become wider and demand for more strenuous efforts will rise.

"The coming five years that will be indicated by the Ninth Congress of the Party will be years when our army's outstanding role that no one else can perform will become further enhanced," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA.

In the eighth party congress in 2021, North Korea unveiled a list of high-tech weapons that Kim vowed to develop, including military spy satellites, solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles and a nuclear-powered submarine.

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