Kim Jong Un to unveil five-year plan at North Korea’s 9th party congress in late Feb

North Korea will convene a major congress of its ruling Workers’ Party in late February, state media said on Sunday , a rare political event at which leader Kim Jong Un is expected to outline his policy roadmap for the next five years amid deepening economic strain, growing international isolation, and accelerated military expansion.

The Korean Central News Agency reported that the decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s political bureau held under Kim’s supervision, saying the congress would be held “ to review the achievements and lessons of the past five-year plan and set new tasks for socialist construction .” It added that organisational arrangements and the agenda framework had been approved, though no exact date was specified. The gathering is expected to last several days as a tightly choreographed display of Kim’s authority, with state media recently highlighting his inspections of weapons tests, arms factories, military installations, and economic projects, crediting his leadership for “ remarkable successes in strengthening national defence and advancing development .”

Behind the official narrative, North Korea continues to face chronic food shortages and widespread hardship , driven by poor harvests, natural disasters, fuel and fertiliser shortages, outdated farming methods, and sanctions. The UN estimates over 40 per cent of the population is food insecure , with persistent hunger and sporadic starvation, especially in rural areas. Hidden unemployment is widespread as factories operate far below capacity due to raw material and energy shortages, forcing many to rely on informal markets. Healthcare, transport, and housing infrastructure remain severely strained, deepening everyday hardship.

Kim’s previous five-year economic plan, launched at the 2021 congress and centred on self-sufficiency, failed to deliver meaningful improvement. Border closures during the COVID-19 pandemic crippled trade, worsening shortages of food, fuel, and industrial inputs. Although limited recovery has occurred since late 2023 through renewed trade with China and arms exports to Russia , analysts say the economy remains fragile and heavily dependent on external lifelines, undercutting claims of economic independence.

Despite these internal challenges, Kim is expected to use the congress to double down on nuclear and missile expansion , announcing further upgrades to both strategic and conventional forces. His earlier blueprint included solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles, tactical nuclear weapons, spy satellites, and nuclear-powered submarines, much of which has since progressed into advanced testing phases.

On foreign policy, Kim is likely to stress closer alignment with Moscow and Beijing while reinforcing a confrontational posture toward the United States and South Korea, portraying global tensions as part of a “new Cold War” . Relations with Washington remain frozen after the collapse of nuclear talks in 2019, and Kim has rejected renewed overtures since US President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, insisting that sanctions relief and recognition of North Korea’s nuclear status must precede any negotiations.

Now in his fifteenth year in power , Kim enters the congress projecting confidence and control. Yet beneath the display of military strength and ideological unity, North Korea continues to grapple with hunger, energy shortages, healthcare failures, and economic stagnation, raising doubts over whether another ambitious five-year plan can bring tangible improvement to the lives of its people.