North Korea to Hold Political Conference

North Korea is set to convene a major political conference in late February, where leader Kim Jong Un will unveil his domestic and foreign policies for the next five years. This event follows years of accelerated nuclear and missile development by North Korea and its deepening ties with Russia over the war in Ukraine, which have intensified standoffs with the United States and South Korea. Kim Jong Un is expected to emphasize economic development through 'self-sustenance' and mass mobilization, alongside plans to expand North Korea's nuclear-armed military capabilities, including upgrading conventional weapons systems and integrating them with nuclear forces. He will also likely highlight an assertive foreign policy, fostering closer ties with Russia and China, and adopting a more adversarial stance toward South Korea, embracing a 'new Cold War' ideology. Kim Jong Un has rejected dialogue overtures from Donald Trump since January 2025, insisting that Washington abandon demands for North Korea to surrender its nuclear weapons. Despite past economic policy failures, North Korea's economy appears to have improved over the last five years, possibly due to increased trade with China and arms exports to Russia. Kim Jong Un has exploited geopolitical turmoil to his advantage, using Russia's invasion of Ukraine to accelerate weapons testing and align with Vladimir Putin, who has accepted North Korean troops and military equipment. He also held a summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing, marking the first such meeting in six years.