North Korea has set May 6 as the date for opening the seventh congress of the ruling Workers' Party. The convention will be the first since 1980, when founding leader Kim Il-sung ruled the communist country. Also, it will be the first congress to be held under North Korea's current leader Kim Jong-un.
It's not difficult to reason why Pyongyang will hold the congress, its top decision-making party organ. On the occasion of the congress, the young dictator apparently intends to cement his grip on power and strengthen the solidarity of his regime by showing off the North's nuclear and missile capabilities.
The isolated state conducted a fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range missile launch in February. There has been growing speculation that the North may carry out a fresh nuclear or missile test just ahead of the party event to placate the North Koreans who are beset with chronic economic woes.
Some pundits raise the possibility of considerable changes in the North following the congress. Kim may replace his old top brass with younger people while declaring the "era of Kim Jong-un.'' It's also possible that North Korea will begin a personality cult of its young leader despite its isolation and sanctions imposed by the United Nations.
Speculation is rife that Kim may revise the party platform to declare itself as a nuclear state. This is quite possible, given that the impoverished regime in Pyongyang needs to highlight its military achievements at a time when improving dire economic conditions has been elusive for a long time.
Although the chances are low, Kim could declare a new path for dialogue and compromise, especially in a move aimed at sounding out the possibility of concluding a peace treaty with the United States.
Nonetheless, it's naive to expect North Korea to give up its weapons of mass destruction easily. That is all the more so, considering that South Korea is actually held hostage to the North's nuclear blackmail.
But Kim's belief that atomic weapons will ensure his survival is merely an illusion. The more the North sticks to its nuclear program, the worse its economic conditions will become and the more North Koreans will be alienated from the regime.
Kim should stop the North's weapons program immediately in order to stay in power. True, both the U.S. and China have limitations in deterring the communist state from becoming a nuclear power. But it's also true that the blind pursuit of WMD will speed up Kim's ― and Pyongyang's ― collapse.
It's not difficult to reason why Pyongyang will hold the congress, its top decision-making party organ. On the occasion of the congress, the young dictator apparently intends to cement his grip on power and strengthen the solidarity of his regime by showing off the North's nuclear and missile capabilities.
The isolated state conducted a fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range missile launch in February. There has been growing speculation that the North may carry out a fresh nuclear or missile test just ahead of the party event to placate the North Koreans who are beset with chronic economic woes.
Some pundits raise the possibility of considerable changes in the North following the congress. Kim may replace his old top brass with younger people while declaring the "era of Kim Jong-un.'' It's also possible that North Korea will begin a personality cult of its young leader despite its isolation and sanctions imposed by the United Nations.
Speculation is rife that Kim may revise the party platform to declare itself as a nuclear state. This is quite possible, given that the impoverished regime in Pyongyang needs to highlight its military achievements at a time when improving dire economic conditions has been elusive for a long time.
Although the chances are low, Kim could declare a new path for dialogue and compromise, especially in a move aimed at sounding out the possibility of concluding a peace treaty with the United States.
Nonetheless, it's naive to expect North Korea to give up its weapons of mass destruction easily. That is all the more so, considering that South Korea is actually held hostage to the North's nuclear blackmail.
But Kim's belief that atomic weapons will ensure his survival is merely an illusion. The more the North sticks to its nuclear program, the worse its economic conditions will become and the more North Koreans will be alienated from the regime.
Kim should stop the North's weapons program immediately in order to stay in power. True, both the U.S. and China have limitations in deterring the communist state from becoming a nuclear power. But it's also true that the blind pursuit of WMD will speed up Kim's ― and Pyongyang's ― collapse.
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