There have been numerous reports from both South Korean and international media that assumes that Kim Ju-Ae is the heir to succeed the Kim dynasty. From joining the 2025 Beijing visit to paying respect at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on January 1, 2...
There have been numerous reports from both South Korean and international media that assumes that Kim Ju-Ae is the heir to succeed the Kim dynasty. From joining the 2025 Beijing visit to paying respect at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on January 1, 2026, the visual authority created by North Korea has elevated her to a potential successor. However, if seen in the perspective of institutionalizing North Korea’s dynastic succession, Kim Ju-Ae is being exposed not in a confirmed succession dynamic but in a highly orchestrated symbolic politics. This article will compare this with the succession processes of Kim Jong-Il and Kim Jong-Un to identify the gaps in the theory of Kim Ju-Ae’s succession, analyzing the political calculation as intended by North Korea.