North Korea yet to announce schedule for first party congress in five years

Seoul, Jan 23 (IANS) North Korea has yet to announce the schedule for its upcoming party congress, which would be its first in five years, amid speculation in Seoul that the event may take place next month.

Last month, the North convened a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea as part of preparations for the once-every-five-years party congress, at which the country is expected to set long-term policy visions for the economy, foreign policy and other areas.

Results from the congress, the highest decision-making body in the North, will determine the country's major policy lines for the next five years, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Seoul's National Intelligence Service and government officials have predicted the key event is likely to take place in early February, but the exact schedule remains unclear amid a lack of related coverage in North Korean media.

In the past, North Korean media announced the start of party congresses only a few days before they began.

They announced the seventh congress, which convened on May 6, 2016, nine days in advance, while the eighth congress in early January of 2021 was announce about a week beforehand.

Ahead of the 2016 and 2021 congresses, the North also reported on preliminary procedures for such party events, including the election of regional representatives to attend them, signaling, albeit indirectly, the impending congresses.

If the ninth congress takes place in early February as predicted, the North is likely to report on related preparatory steps in the coming days or weeks, including a meeting of the party's Politburo to set the schedule for the congress or the election of representatives to attend it.

In the run-up to the upcoming congress, the North has dialed up discipline among government officials, while publicizing results from the party's economic development plans.

While attending a public event at a machinery plant earlier this week, leader Kim Jong-un dismissed the vice premier in charge of the machinery industry, accusing him of "irresponsibility." He has also made back-to-back public appearances inspecting or inaugurating construction projects under his signature regional development policy.