North Korea Congress to be held 'early in January'

North Korea's next landmark party meeting will be early in January, according to a new hint on timing from state media on Wednesday. The 8th Congress of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party was announced months ago, for January 2021, but Wednesday's news was the first indication of the real dates and a new affirmation that plans are still on. North Korea's socialist system requires regular Party Congress meetings, but according to public record that has not happened for decades.

The 6th Congress was held in 1980, and then the 7th did not happen until 2016. If the 8th Party Congress goes ahead as announced in early January, it would mark more of a return to socialist-style routine. North Korea has shut down its borders against the coronavirus since late January 2020.