North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was reelected Sunday as general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party during its five-year party congress in Pyongyang, according to state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The congress, which began last Thursday, serves as the country’s highest political gathering and sets policy direction for the next five years.

Party rules designate the congress as the body responsible for electing the general secretary, the organization’s top leadership post. Kim has held the party’s highest office since 2016, when he assumed the title of chairman, later renamed general secretary in 2021.

State media reported that thousands of delegates expressed “unanimous desire” for Kim’s continued leadership, praising his expansion of North Korea’s nuclear forces and asserting that the military is now capable of responding to “any threat of aggression” or “any form of war.” The party statement further credited his leadership with securing the country’s future and strengthening national pride.

The gathering comes as Pyongyang continues to accelerate its nuclear and missile development programs. North Korea has tested weapons systems in recent years that it claims can strike regional U.S. allies as well as the American mainland. Analysts expect Kim to use the congress to outline additional military objectives, including integration of conventional forces with nuclear capabilities.

The meeting also follows deepening ties between North Korea and Russia amid Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Expanded arms exports and rebounding trade with China have contributed to post-pandemic economic gains, while Kim has continued to promote a policy of economic “self-reliance” supported by state-led mobilization efforts.