7/26/2019 The 7th Congress of the Workers Party of Korea: Outcomes and Implications

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The 7thCongress of the Workers Party of Korea: Outcomes and Implications

Shreya Singh,Research Officer, CRP, IPCS.Email: shreyadeas@gmail.com

9 May 20! concl"ded #he $#h%or&er's Par#y of (orea )%P(* Congress in #he +emocra#ic Peole'sRe"-lic of (orea )+PR(*. he fo"r day mee# may -e s"mmed " as leng#hy seeches rele#e /i#h eenleng#hier socialis# 1argon -"# some salien# #al&ing oin#s may -e c"lled o"# if /e micro eamine #hoseseeches. he &ey 3"es#ions #ha# are "# for#h in #he commen#ary regarding #his Par#y Congress are: /as#he $#h%P( Congress really needed and /ha# did i# achiee4

he $#h %P( Congress' con#en# and con#e#has -een #horo"ghly eamined, as /i#h mos# ac#ions of+PR(, -"# a li##le -ac&gro"nd is imor#an#. he $ #h%P( Congress /as held in #he isola#ed s#a#e af#er aga of 5! years and "nder normal circ"ms#ances ar#y congresses are held eery 6 years. Prior #o #he $ #h

%P(, a lo# of redic#ions /ere made a-o"# /ha# /o"ld -e #he ossi-le o"#comes of #he same. hiscommen#ary, /i#h #he end of #he ar#y congress, /ill eamine #he res"l#s, if any.

Key points

7irs#ly, #he s"reme leader of +PR(, (im 8ong"n #al&ed a-o"# ho/ as a resonsi-le n"clear /eaons's#a#e; i# /ill no# "se i#s n"clear /eaons "nless i#s' soereign#y is encroached "on -y any aggressiehos#ile forces /i#h n"&es;, adding on ho/ he /an#ed #o normalise and -"ild eacef"l rela#ions /i#hco"n#ries /hich hae -een reio"sly hos#ile #o i#.

as#ly #here /as a session on changing, renaming and #he handing o"# of or#folios /i#hin #he Par#yCongress. he foremos# among #hem /as #he Chairman of #he %P(, no ri?es for g"essing #ha# i# /asgien #o (im 8ong"n, relacing his reio"s #i#le of 7irs# Secre#ary.

Why is this important?

+o #hese anno"ncemen#s hae any s"-s#ance or are #hey li&e mos# s#a#emen#s from +PR(, simly#al&ing sho4 he s#a#emen# /hich men#ions -eing a resonsi-le n"clear /eaons s#a#e and no# "sing#he /eaons firs#, can -e seen as #he +PR( a##em#ing #o -e a -i# more acco"n#a-le. o/eer #hisro1ec#ion of i#self as a resonsi-le s#a#e /o"ld no# come /i#ho"# cos#.

7/26/2019 The 7th Congress of the Workers Party of Korea: Outcomes and Implications

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eamina#ion of #his reersion is more reealing #han any o#her anno"ncemen#. I# oin#s #o #he yo"nger(im's a##em#s #o em"la#e his grandfa#her (im Ils"ng and -ring -ac& a more sys#ema#ised andformalised ar#y s#r"c#"re and /ay of goerning. his is oer his o/n fa#her, (im 8ongil's, morecaricio"s mili#ary drien olicies. >oo&ing solely a# #he fie year economic lan, i# is reflec#ie of (im8ong"n #a&ing o/nershi and resonsi-ili#y, #ho"gh sym-olically, of #he co"n#ry's economy /hich f"r#hersho/s #ha# he is more confiden# and his o/er is ge##ing more and more /elles#a-lished if no# deely soalready. his is some#hing ne/ and some#hing #ha# his fa#her, d"e #o e#ernal isola#ion and in#ernalfac#ors, /as "na-le #o do.

>as#ly, if one is so cri#ical a-o"# all #he no#a-le asec#s #ha# emerged in #he $#h %P( #hen /ha# are #he#a&ea/ays from i#4

Implications

Referring -ac& #o #he 3"es#ions osed a# #he o"#se# of #he commen#ary: /as #he $ #h%P( really neededand /ha# did i# achiee. he ans/er #o #hese #/o 3"es#ions can -e ans/ered in #/o /aysB #heersec#ie of +PR( and #he ersec#ie of #he in#erna#ional comm"ni#y.

7rom #he end of +PR(, one can ma&e a calc"la#ed g"ess as #o #heir in#en#ions. he $#h%P( /as a m"chneeded sho/ of -"oyancy and selfass"redness, af#er #he sa#e of "rges, in (im 8ong"n's s#yle of

goerning #ha# /as earlier missing. Dddi#ionally i# ro-a-ly ended " achieing 1"s# #ha#.

On #he o#her end of #he sec#r"m, #he $ #h%P(, if no#hing else, defini#ely dre/ a##en#ion -ac& #o +PR( andhad #he +PR( o-serers sec"la#ing a-o"# #he ossi-le o"#comes and imlica#ions. Dccording #o s&e#icsi# /as a needless eercise #ha# did no# lead #o any -ig anno"ncemen#s or changes in #he general direc#ionof +PR(.