North Korea is currently holding its 9th Workers' Party Congress starting on the 19th of this month. During this congress, Kim Jong Un emphasizes accomplishments over the past five years and calls for national unity. Ri Jeong-ho, a former representative of Room 39 who managed foreign currency earnings for the royal family, escaped to South Korea in 2014 and now resides in Virginia, USA. He expresses concerns that the economic development North Korea boasts about is merely superficial, revealing deep structural failures within the regime.

The main purposes of holding the congress are twofold: first, to strengthen Kim Jong Un’s absolute authority and legitimize the regime while fostering unity among the citizens. The congress involves the selection and dismissal of around 250 core leadership members, allowing Kim to place loyal figures in positions of power. Secondly, it aims to institutionalize the supreme leader’s directives and establish official strategic lines concerning politics, the economy, military, and foreign policy, prominently featuring initiatives like the "Five-Year National Economic Development Plan."

Historically, North Korea has not held a party congress since the 6th congress in 1980, which is linked to a series of structural failures within the state. From the mid-1980s, the inefficacy of the planned economy caused a failure to achieve the economic objectives set forth in the past, compounded by the collapse of socialist regimes in Eastern Europe that led to a cessation of economic assistance. Following a prolonged period of hardship marked by famine in the 1990s, North Korea still struggles to recover economically, reaching levels seen in the 1980s. The holding of party congresses is viewed as a national 'celebration' to showcase regime achievements, and Kim Jong Il previously delayed congresses until the economy improved, signifying the leader’s perceived need to maintain a façade of strength amidst dire economic conditions.