Kim Jong-un reporting party accomplishments on 2nd day of rare congress

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is reporting on the ruling party's 36 years of accomplishments for the second day in a row at the key gathering in Pyongyang, a venue aimed at rallying support behind his one-man rule, the country's state media said Saturday.

The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) opened its first congress in more than three decades on Friday, a political event widely expected to reaffirm Kim's monolithic power.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that the congress will discuss five agenda items, including the review of the party's work and the election of Kim to "the top post" of the WPK.

The KCNA said that the North's leader began to report on the work carried out by the WPK's central committee in front of selected party delegates on Friday, adding that "the presentation of the report will go on into the second day," Yonhap News Agency reported.

The party gathering is the first of its kind since October 1980 and also the first under the current leader, who assumed power in late 2011 following the sudden death of his father Kim Jong-il.

The event kicked off amid growing speculation that North Korea could carry out its fifth nuclear test at any time. North Korea conducted its nuke test in January and launched a long-range rocket the following month, prompting the U.N. to impose its strongest ever sanctions on the reclusive country.

The North's leader trumpeted the country's nuclear test and long-range rocket launch early this year when he delivered an opening speech on the first day of the party congress.

"This year... our service personnel and people achieved great successes in first hydrogen bomb test and the launch of earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong 4... thus raising the dignity and might of Korea to the highest level possible," Kim said.

The leader's remarks are widely seen as an indication that the leader will defend his signature policy of developing nuclear weapons in tandem with boosting its moribund economy, commonly known as the "byeongjin" policy.

"Kim's speech seems to hint that he would reaffirm his 'dual-track' policy," said an official at Seoul's unification ministry.

Analysts said that North Korea may enshrine as an official party line the leader's parallel pursuit of nuclear weapons and economic growth when it revises the WPK's party rules at the congress.

The current leader's father Kim Jong-il advocated a military first, or "songun," policy, highlighting the role of the military, but the young leader has shifted his focus to the WPK while promoting the byeongjin policy.