▲ This photo from the Korean Central News Agency on Dec. 11, 2025, shows a plenary gathering of the Workers' Party of Korea, held from Dec. 9-11, 2025. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

N Korea-party congress

N. Korea urges heightened discipline, loyalty among officials ahead of party congress

SEOUL, Jan. 8 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Thursday urged officials to strengthen work discipline and loyalty to the regime ahead of an upcoming key party congress, calling it a "highly responsible" occasion in which their qualifications will be scrutinized.

"Officials need to honorably face the party congress with proud achievements from their devoted service to the people," read the headline of an article carried by the Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's most widely read newspaper, on Thursday.

Their official positions are those "the party has assigned to them to carry a heavier burden for the people and to take on more tasks," the newspaper said, adding that good service for the people means "correctly capturing the wishes and intentions of the party and becoming a genuine loyalist."

The call for heightened devotion and work discipline came as North Korea is expected to convene the ninth party congress in January or February, the first such convention since 2021, to formulate a long-term policy line reportedly covering diplomacy, the economy and other areas.

The newspaper said the period leading up to the party congress is a "highly important time" in which party loyalty and revolutionary inclination of officials will be sternly scrutinized.

"They should wage a strong struggle against the tendency to avoid undertaking projects out of fear ... or to cling to their posts by pretending to work," it pointed out.

As part of preparations for the party congress, North Korea is also scurrying to publicize the results from the party's economic and other projects, including leader Kim Jong-un's signature regional development policy aimed at narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday a national planning committee and a separate committee for the regional development policy were thoroughly preparing the implementation of projects assigned for this year.

(END)

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]