Reports emerged on Wednesday that Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, has dyed his hair black, appearing in public without his previously noticeable gray strands. This move is seen as part of North Korea’s strategy to downplay succession talks and present Kim as a youthful, dynamic leader, thereby reinforcing the country’s unique leadership system.
The Workers’ Party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, published photos on Tuesday from the expanded meeting of the 9th Central Committee’s 2nd Plenary Session. These images confirm that Kim has indeed dyed his once-graying hair black.
Kim’s last public appearance before the plenary session was a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Pyongyang on January 8-9, where he was seen with significant gray hair. This suggests a deliberate image change in just over ten days, likely in preparation for upcoming public engagements.
In North Korea, the supreme leader’s appearance is not a matter of personal preference but a carefully managed political statement. Therefore, Kim’s new look can be interpreted as reflecting the Party’s strategic intentions.
The Workers’ Party’s plenary meeting in late June is a crucial political event that reviews the first half of the year and sets the course for the second half. This timing suggests that North Korea may be using this occasion to refresh Kim’s image both domestically and internationally.
A notable absence is that of Kim’s daughter, Ju Ae. She first appeared publicly during North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch in November 2022. Since then, her public appearances have steadily increased, with 10 in 2023, 12 in 2024, and 15 last year.
This year, starting with a visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on January 1, Ju Ae has already participated in 16 public activities, including observing the sea trial of the new 5,000-ton destroyer Ganggeon on June 4. However, she has been conspicuously absent from recent public events coinciding with Kim’s image transformation.
Notably, Ju Ae did not attend the commissioning ceremony of the 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon on Tuesday, in contrast to her earlier presence during the Ganggeon sea trial.
Some analysts speculate that North Korea may be intentionally controlling the frequency of Ju Ae’s public appearances. Her presence has fueled speculation about succession plans, potentially raising questions about Kim’s health – a narrative Pyongyang might be keen to suppress.
Experts suggest that by emphasizing Kim’s vitality and governance capabilities, North Korea aims to reinforce the leadership system centered around Kim while minimizing internal confusion about early power succession. This image refresh at the first Workers’ Party plenary session, held just six months after establishing a new five-year national policy, could signal North Korea’s intent to focus on Kim’s personal leadership and control over state affairs in the near future, keeping succession talks at bay by limiting Ju Ae’s public exposure.