North Korea to hold its political convention on May 6

The ruling Workers’ Party, led by Kim, decided Tuesday to open its 7th congress in Pyongyang on May 6, the official Korean Central News Agency reported. It will be the first time the congress, the highest-level decision-making party organ, will be held since 1980, when Kim’s late dictator father Kim Jong Il was awarded a slew of top jobs in a confirmation that he was in line to succeed his father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung. 

Since taking power upon the death of his father in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has been struggling to revive his country’s troubled economy and grapple with international standoffs over his country’s nuclear and missile programmes. 

The standoff deepened earlier this year when North Korea conducted a fourth nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch, which led to the UN slapping its toughest sanctions on North Korea in 20 years. South Korea and the United States also made their ongoing springtime military drills the largest ever. 

In response, Kim last month ordered tests of a nuclear warhead and ballistic missiles capable of carrying warheads. That sparked outside speculation that North Korea could perform a fifth nuclear test ahead of the political convention to burnish his image as a stronger leader fighting hard against foreign aggressions.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said last week that the North was believed to have completed preparations for a new atomic bomb test. Analysts say Kim will likely use the convention to reshuffle top officials and further strengthen his authoritarian leadership.

The US State Department urged North Korea on Tuesday to refrain from actions that destabilize the region and said it would consider “other” options if Pyongyang continued its nuclear and ballistic missile testing. State Department spokesman Mark Toner made the comment at a briefing when asked about reports that North Korea may be planning more nuclear or other tests.