The Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea "opened with great ceremony in Pyongyang" on Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency said.

The congress is the ruling party's top gathering, a grand political set-piece that reinforces the regime's authority and can serve as a platform for announcements of policy shifts or elite personnel changes.

Since the 2021 event, North Korea has continued to develop its nuclear arsenal, repeatedly test-launching intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in defiance of bans ordered by the UN Security Council.

Pyongyang has also developed deep ties with Moscow during its war in Ukraine, with North Korean soldiers sent to fight alongside Russian forces.

In 2024, the two countries signed a treaty including a mutual defence clause.

Observers have been scouring satellite imagery for any signs of the vast military parades that have marked previous gatherings.

Any parade will be closely watched for signs of a shift in North Korea's military bearing.

Pyongyang has used previous processions to show off its newest and most potent weapons, a rare source of insight into the strength of its armed forces.