North's leader Kim Jong-un reports on reviewing policy achievements Friday, the second day of the ninth party congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in this photo carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Saturday. Yonhap

North Korea said Saturday it has achieved "remarkable" success in implementing major policies over the past five years, as Pyongyang is holding a key party congress amid expectations that it will unveil its future policy direction.

With North Korean leader Kim Jong-un present, the country held a policy review session on Friday, the second day of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea's ninth party congress, the country's biggest political event since 2021, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

On Thursday, it kicked off the high-profile party gathering, where it will outline major policy directions for the next five years on diplomacy, defense, the economy and other areas.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, center, attends a review session of policy achievements, Friday, the second day of the ninth party congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in this photo carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Saturday. Yonhap

The KCNA said North Korea has "successfully" carried out key policy plans "in all fields" over the past five years, calling it a period of "great transformation."

"The remarkable successes, experience and lessons, gained in the overall work of the Party and the state in politics, economy, culture, defense, diplomacy and other fields ... serve as a springboard for making leaps forward in guaranteeing greater changes and successes," the report said.

North Korea did not disclose details of its assessment about the country's policy toward South Korea and the United States.

Policymakers in Seoul and Washington have paid keen attention to this year's party congress, the highest decision-making body in North Korea, as both South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump have expressed their willingness to resume diplomacy with Pyongyang.

In a speech on the first day of the congress, Kim touted economic achievements made over the past five years and assessed the status of North Korea as being firmly consolidated as an "irreversible" one.

Source: Korea Times News