North Korea has been anticipating the Seventh Workers Party of Korea Congress for months now. Following the announcement of the Congress the energy of North Korea’s media organizations was unleashed rhetorically. All manner of bureaucracies have been harnessed to underpin the congress’s importance. There was even a”70 Day Campaign of Loyalty,” a campaign similar to past Chinese efforts such as Dazhai Speed under Mao or Soviet Stakhanovism.
Finally the date of the congress has been unveiled as May 6. So what can we expect from it? While we cannot know for sure, North Korea’s capacity to surprise should never be underestimated.
In recent months, Pyongyang has constantly reminded the rest of the world of its nuclear and ballistic ambitions and capabilities, and has reacted with its trademark fury to the world’s denunciations and sanctions. But none of these things help us get a handle on what the latest congress is meant to achieve, or what surprises it might have in store.
