The anticipated party title for Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Ju Ae, at North Korea’s 9th Workers’ Party Congress did not materialize. Instead of highlighting succession plans, North Korea appeared to focus on reinforcing Kim’s regime and his signature policies.
While the messaging toward the U.S. and South Korea was unambiguous, analysts on Friday noted that it didn’t signal a major shift in current dynamics. Rather, it intensified North Korea’s existing hostile stance toward both nations.
Ju Ae Keeps Low Profile at Congress, Appears Only at Military Parade… Status as Likely Successor Intact
The National Intelligence Service recently informed the National Assembly that Ju Ae has been contributing to certain policy decisions, suggesting she’s entering the official successor designation phase. This marks the first time South Korean intelligence has made such a definitive assessment of North Korea’s succession structure.
This led to speculation that Ju Ae might receive a party title at this congress. Some believed this quinquennial event could elevate Ju Ae’s prominence, effectively cementing the fourth-generation hereditary succession. Reports even suggested that the 13- to 14-year-old Ju Ae plays a crucial role in North Korea’s missile programs.
However, Ju Ae was absent from all public proceedings, from the opening on February 19 to the closing on February 25. The widely publicized congress results showed no indication of her receiving any specific title.
Ju Ae finally appeared at the military parade following the congress. Here, she primarily stood beside Kim, with North Korean media emphasizing her presence next to her father. Notably, she wore a matching leather coat and occasionally took a central position, seemingly asserting her status as the most likely successor.
Current Geopolitical Climate Favors Us… Tough on the U.S., Harsher on South Korea
Kim delivered a forceful message during the congress’s summary report, targeting both the U.S. and South Korea.
He offered conditional dialogue with the U.S., contingent on their recognition of North Korea’s nuclear power status. However, he firmly rejected denuclearization, indicating no change in North Korea’s negotiating stance. Given the Donald Trump administration’s recent challenges with tariff violations and diplomatic issues in Iran and Ukraine, some analysts suggest the threshold for negotiations has actually increased.
Regarding South Korea, Kim maintained a hostile position, vowing to permanently exclude South Korea from the category of fellow countrymen. He dismissed the Lee Jae Myung administration’s conciliatory policies as clumsy deception and amateurish, clearly rejecting the government’s North Korea policy.
Kim issued a severe threat, warning that if South Korea’s reckless actions jeopardize North Korea’s security, they may take any necessary actions, potentially leading to South Korea’s complete collapse. Given North Korea’s announcement to strengthen its nuclear capabilities, analysts anticipate a high likelihood of immediate, severe military provocations against South Korea.
In this context, while the overall message was clear, analysts noted a lack of new content, suggesting North Korea is unlikely to take significant steps to alter the current situation in the near future.
Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, observed that unlike the 8th Party Congress five years ago, which offered numerous points for analysis such as economic and defense five-year plans, this congress presented few new initiatives.
Hong Min, head of the North Korea research division at the Korea Institute for National Unification, noted that the decisions largely maintained last year’s policy direction, focusing more on structuring existing strategies rather than introducing new approaches.