North Korea orchestrated a massive celebration to welcome the year 2026, mobilizing large crowds from the night before. The May 1st Stadium in Rungra Island, packed to capacity, can hold between 100,000 and 150,000 spectators.
On Thursday, the Workers’ Party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that the 2026 New Year’s celebration performance was successfully held at the capital’s May 1st Stadium, with Comrade Kim Jong Un in attendance.
Photos released by the newspaper that day captured Kim watching the performance at a round table with his daughter Ju-ae and wife Ri Sol-ju. Notably, Ju-ae was positioned at the center of the table, with Kim seated to her left and Ri to her right, creating a carefully staged tableau.
During the New Year’s celebration on January 1, 2024, which Ri also attended, Ju-ae similarly occupied the seat of honor between Kim and Ri. However, that event featured a long table where high-ranking officials were also seated. This year’s circular seating arrangement is seen by some analysts as a deliberate move to further elevate Ju-ae’s status.
Notably, Ju-ae was seen embracing the children of Russian military commanders invited to the event, alongside Kim. This gesture is interpreted as reinforcing Ju-ae’s image as a special figure capable of bestowing blessings upon the people, further fueling speculation about her potential as a successor.
The celebration was attended by a wide array of guests, including members of the Party Central Committee’s Presidium, officials from various party, government, and military organs, workers from ministries and central agencies, labor innovators and meritorious individuals, families of overseas operational unit commanders, soldiers of the Korean People’s Army, staff and students from revolutionary schools, capital construction workers, Pyongyang citizens, and some overseas Koreans.
