Spotlight: DPRK ruling party's congress opens, consolidating core leadership

The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Friday opened its 7th Congress -- the first WPK congress in 36 years and the first under the leadership of Kim Jong Un.

Considered the most significant political event for the country in 2016, the congress is not only a decision-making occasion when the ruling party mulls new state and economic policies and makes medium- and long-term development plans, but is also a chance for the DPRK to consolidate its core leadership.

The congress was reportedly to begin at 9 a.m. local time (0030 GMT) at the April 25 Cultural House in central Pyongyang. The culture house, which is the main site for the congress, was named after the founding date of the Korean People's Army.

Attending the congress are about 3,000 party representatives from across the country. Mass parades and torch processions, which tens of thousands of people have been practicing for days or even months, will take place during or after the congress.

Throngs of local people jammed the Kim Il Sung Square with bouquets held in hands, still rehearsing for the extravaganza.

More than 100 foreign journalists were invited to take photographs and videos outside the venue and were permitted to interview Pyongyang residents around, but were not allowed to enter the meeting hall.

In late Friday evening, the Korean Central Television broadcast an edited recorded video of the opening ceremony, at which Kim made an opening address.

Yoon Hae Ryoong, a senior student majoring in mechanics from Kim Il Sung University, told Xinhua that he sees the 7th congress as a historic watershed in the revolutionary cause of the DPRK.

He said that as a young college student, he was lucky to take part in the parade and torch march to help the congress bear more fruits.

He said the concurrent development of nuclear weapons and national economy is a long-term strategy, rather than a makeshift to deal with "U.S. imperialists."

The year 2016 is the third year since Kim initiated the "Line of Byungjin (Line of Parallel Development)" to simultaneously push forward economic growth and bolster nuclear capability at a plenary meeting of the party's Central Committee in March 2013.

Analysts say the 7th congress may focus on further consolidating the policy of developing nuclear weapons and national economy at the same time and emphasize the DPRK's status as a nuclear state.

On Thursday, the foreign journalists were shown around a revolutionary museum built inside the DPRK's first-ever weapons factory. The establishment of the weapons factory marked the start of the country's munitions industry with its independent strength and technology.

On Dec. 9, 2015, when the country's top leader Kim Jong Un visited the revolutionary relics, he announced for the first time that the DPRK is able to produce hydrogen bombs.

In the afternoon of the opening day of the congress, journalists were invited to visit the Pyongyang March 26 Cable Factory under the arrangement of the DPRK side.

The factory's general manager Kim Sok Nam told the journalists that despite the latest round of U.N. sanctions, the workers are working even harder to echo the party's call for a 70-day campaign right ahead of the party congress and the output has been doubled.

"We are now creating the Mallima (a horse that runs 10,000 miles a day) Speed in production," he said.

On Saturday, the journalists are invited to tour around Pyongyang Metro and take the modern subway train the DPRK claims made by itself. They will also visit the Mirae Scientists Street, a compound built for scientists and educators at the initiative of Kim Jong Un and completed on the occasion of the 70th founding anniversary of the party last year.

Pyongyang announced in October 2015 that the 7th WPK congress will be convened in early May. The 6th congress was held in 1980.

It is expected to have a reshuffle of senior party and state officials, including the members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee, and introduce new policies in terms of economic development, inter-Korean relations, and even revise the Party Constitution. Endi