North Korea held a national meeting focusing on managing ruling party cadres for the first time, underscoring Kim Jong Un’s recent emphasis on strengthening loyalty to his rule as he increasingly promotes his leadership cult.

The First National Conference of Officials in the Personnel Administration Sector, held on an unspecified date in Pyongyang, focused on “practical steps to turn the personnel administration into a scientific and efficient one,” the state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Wednesday. 

Kim sent a letter to the participants, who reportedly burst into loud applause upon receiving “the great immortal program” for advancing the