What’s behind North Korea’s rare party congress?

It’s been called a once-in-a-generation political event.

The first party congress to be held in North Korea since 1980, before supreme leader Kim Jong-un was even born.

Many see it as an an opportunity for Kim to showcase the country’s stability under his leadership and promote recent successes.

He’s been pursuing what’s been described as a guns and butter policy. Developing a nuclear weapons programme, while promising to help the economy in what remains one of the poorest countries in the world.

But is it all just political theatre? And is Kim serious about raising living standards for North Koreans?

Presenter: Hazem Sika

Guests:

Alison Evans – Senior Analyst at IHS Country Risk.

Jean Lee – Global Fellow at the Wilson Center. Jean also opened the first Associated Press bureau in Pyongyang in 2012.

BJ Kim – Adjunct Professor at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.