Kim is currently first party secretary, but may take on the post of party general secretary, a position held by his late father.
The conclave may also enshrine as formal party doctrine Kim’s “byungjin” policy of pursuing nuclear weapons in tandem with economic development.
Some analysts have suggested Kim might signal a shift in emphasis towards the economy and, in his speech, he mentioned the beginning of a new “leap forward” but offered no specific details.
“You have to remember there are two levels to this,” said John Delury, a historian at Yonsei University in Seoul.
“There’s the staging and the performance which makes headlines and then the nitty-gritty policy stuff, which will take time to go through and properly understand,” Delury said.
Other items on the agenda included revising party rules and elections to central party organs.
Since taking power, Kim has shown a ruthless streak, purging the party, government and powerful military of those seen as disloyal, and ordering the execution of his powerful uncle, and one-time political mentor, Jang Song-Thaek.
The congress will elect its central committee which will in turn select a politburo, with Kim expected to bring in a younger generation of leaders hand-picked for their loyalty.
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