North Korea on Monday urged all-out public efforts to complete major projects of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea ahead of the first party congress in five years in 2026, where a new development plan is expected to be unveiled. The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's most widely read newspaper, issued the call in an editorial, describing the period until the ninth party congress as "a very important and responsible juncture" in implementing party decisions and transitioning to a new stage of reform. The North Korean party is expected to convene its ninth party congress in January or February, at which a new five-year development plan is expected to be formulated. It will mark the first party congress since the eighth in 2021, where a five-year economic development plan was adopted. At the upcoming party congress, leader Kim Jong-un is likely to highlight the achievements of his signature regional development drive, known as "the Regional Development 20x10 Policy," touting them as major party accomplishments. "Not even a trivial case of incompletion should be allowed" in the implementation of p