This picture taken on Jan 9, 2021 and released by KCNA on Jan 10, 2021 shows Kim Jong-un (center, front row ) attending the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang. (STR / KCNA VIA KNS / AFP）

PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has endorsed its top leader Kim Jong-un as the general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea at its eighth party congress, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Monday. 

The election took place at the sixth-day session of the ongoing party congress in Pyongyang on Sunday

"The eighth congress ... decides to hold Kim Jong-un in high esteem as the general secretary of the Workers' Party Korea," the report read.

The election took place at the sixth-day session of the ongoing party congress in Pyongyang on Sunday, according to the report.

READ MORE: DPRK leader Kim reviews work as 8th party congress opens

On Sunday, the congress decided to change the party's "Executive Policy Council into Secretariat." The decision would lead to party officials to relinquish the current titles such as chairman and vice chairman and start using old titles such as secretary or vice secretary.

The party also held elections for its Central Committee, a key governing body that includes the powerful politburo, the KCNA said.

This picture taken on Jan 8, 2021 and released from Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Jan 9, 2021 shows  Kim Jong-un speaking during the fourth day of 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang. (STR / KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

Jo Yong-won, a senior party official who was often spotted accompanying the leader during his field trips last year, was promoted to a member of the standing committee of the political bureau to replace Pak Pong-ju.  

The congress opened on Tuesday with expectation of announcing a five-year economic development plan and new diplomatic and military policy and make key personnel decisions.

First plenary meeting 

The first plenary meeting of the eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was held Sunday with a focus on strengthening the party discipline, the KCNA reported on Monday.

"Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, guided the plenary meeting," reads the report. At the meeting, Kim said that the newly regulated mission of the Party Central Auditing Commission is to focus on Party discipline.

The Political Bureau and the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee headed by Kim was elected at the meeting, KCNA reported.

The KCNA said the congress was to continue with a seventh-day session on Monday.

The 7th party congress was held in May 2016 and ran for four days.