Kim re-elected North Korean leaderPOLITICAL GOALS: Kim Jong-un revamped the party’s Central Committee, replacing aging military chiefs, and is expected to further bolster the nation’s nuclear arsenalAP, SEOULNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un was re-elected to the top post of the ruling Workers’ Party, with delegates crediting him for bolstering the nation’s nuclear arsenal and strengthening its regional standing, state media reported yesterday. A photograph taken on Sunday and released by the Korean Central News Agency yesterday shows the fourth day of the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim was re-elected as the party’s general secretary with the “unshakable will and unanimous desire” of thousands of delegates on the fourth day of meetings on Sunday. Under party rules, the congress, which Kim has held every five years since 2016, elects the general secretary to serve as the party’s top representative and leader. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said Xi congratulated Kim on his re-election.

Source: Taipei Times February 23, 2026 16:05 UTC