North expert: Kim Ju-ae is Kim Jong-un's designated successor

A North Korea expert has analyzed that Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, should be regarded as designated successor to the North Korean leader. Kim Ju-ae previously attended the military parade for China’s Victory Day, making her official debut on a multilateral diplomatic stage.

Jeong Seong-jang, deputy director of the Sejong Research Institute, published a column titled *‘Why Kim Ju-ae Should Be Viewed as Designated Successor to Kim Jong-un’* on the 11th. He stated, “The modifier ‘esteemed’ is not an expression that can be applied to just anyone in North Korean media. The fact that Rodong Sinmun used such a term for Kim Ju-ae, who was 9 years old at the time in 2022, reflects Kim Jong-un’s strong will and desire to position Kim Ju-ae as his successor.”

Jeong added, “In North Korea’s protocol system, seating is power. Kim Ju-ae has consistently been placed next to Kim Jong-un at public events, which signifies she is being treated as a de facto successor. Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un’s sister, has recently been repeatedly photographed standing behind Kim Ju-ae at events. A single step in protocol signifies a difference in power status.”

Regarding North Korean media’s use of the modifier “esteemed” for Kim Ju-ae, Jeong noted, “This foreshadows the beginning of a cult of personality around Kim Ju-ae. Some experts argue that since Kim Ju-ae is part of the Baekdu bloodline, honorifics and protocol are natural. However, Kim Kyong-hui, Kim Jong-il’s sister, and Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un’s sister, are also part of the Baekdu bloodline, but such modifiers have never been used for them.”

Jeong explained, “Power succession in North Korea does not happen overnight. It will be completed through three stages: designation and successor training, domestic formalization, and international formalization. Kim Ju-ae is currently in the ‘designation stage’ and is expected to move to the ‘domestic formalization stage’ at an appropriate time.”

Addressing claims that a woman cannot become the supreme leader in North Korea due to its male-centric ideology, Jeong stated, “The reason South Korean experts often misjudge North Korea’s succession issues is their lack of understanding of the monarchic (dynastic) nature of the North Korean system. In monarchic states, if a king has no sons, it is natural for a daughter to be designated as crown princess and inherit power.”

Earlier, the National Intelligence Service also assessed at a closed-door plenary session of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee on the 11th that Kim Jong-un’s recent trip to China with his daughter Kim Ju-ae was “part of a narrative to complete her succession” and that “there is an aspect of allowing her to gain overseas experience and solidify her position as a prominent successor.”