North Korea: Party Congress Set to Bolster Repression

(Human Rights Watch) North Korea’s ninth Party Congress started on February 20, 2026, amid escalating repression of young people, strict control of information, and widespread forced labor, Human Rights Watch said today. The Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea is the country’s most important political meeting. Party Congresses have historically occurred irregularly: the last three were in 1980, 2016, and 2021. Past Party Congresses have set ideological direction, reset policy, and consolidated political power. North Korea has no competitive political parties, and the Workers’ Party of Korea controls all state institutions. – North Korea: Party Congress Set to Bolster Repression | Human Rights Watch