Overview

• Park Jie-won told YTN Radio that reports of Ju-ae’s grooming are wrong and that she will not be named successor.
• He asserted Kim Jong-un likely has a son studying in the West who is the probable heir, saying Ju-ae’s visibility may conceal his absence.
• Park noted Ju-ae holds no official role and did not appear at the Beijing parade or banquet despite traveling with her father.
• State photos from Sept. 2 showed Ju-ae accompanying Kim in Beijing, which some analysts view as deliberate profile-building for a future heir.
• The Beijing commemoration brought Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un together, signaling closer alignment among China, Russia and North Korea.