NK Inside

· North Korean Deputy Minister of National Defense to Attend China-Hosted Beijing Xiangshan Forum

· North Korea Received Putin’s Congratulatory Message First but Replied to Xi Jinping First

· NIS: “Kim Ju-ae Has Entered the ‘Designated Successor’ Stage”; Verification of Possible Elder Brother Continues

Myongsung Kim

In his reply to Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un emphasized the “alliance” between North Korea and Russia and reaffirmed his commitment to comprehensively expanding and deepening bilateral cooperation. However, his reply was publicly released two days after his response to Chinese President Xi Jinping was announced. Kim responded to Xi’s congratulatory message within three days, compared with five days for Putin’s message.

According to North Korean media outlets, including the Rodong Sinmun, Chinese President Xi sent a congratulatory message to Kim Jong-un on September 9, while Russian President Putin sent his message a day earlier, on September 8. However, Kim’s reply to Xi was publicly released on September 13, while his reply to Putin was released on September 15. Thus, although Putin sent his message first, Kim’s response to Xi was announced first.

The speed of Kim’s response is particularly notable when compared with last year. In 2025, Kim replied to Xi’s September 9 congratulatory message on September 20, 11 days later. This year, however, he responded within three days.

The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea, reported on September 15 that Kim stated in his reply, “I and the entire Korean people feel greatly encouraged and express our deep gratitude for the warm congratulatory message you sent on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”

Kim assessed, “Today, the two countries—North Korea and Russia—and their two peoples are strengthening their bonds of loyalty and unity amid the turbulent tides of history, jointly safeguarding justice and peace, and ceaselessly writing a new chapter in the history of our great alliance.”

He went on to emphasize “a shared vision for the bright future of DPRK-Russia relations, based on the traditions of friendship, good-neighborliness, and mutual assistance, as well as the solid alliance between our two countries.“

He added, “The resolve of myself and the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comprehensively expand and deepen our cooperation with the Russian Federation is, without a doubt, unshakable.”

Kim also reaffirmed his support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. He stated, “I am firmly convinced of the Russian Federation’s victory in today’s holy war to defend the country’s security interests and international justice,” and pledged “unwavering support” for Putin and the Russian people.

NIS: “Kim Ju-ae Has Entered the ‘Designated Successor’ Stage”; Verification of Possible Elder Brother Continues

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) maintained its previous assessment that Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un, has entered the stage of being designated as his successor. The agency also stated that it has identified a younger sibling whose gender has not been confirmed, while the existence of an elder son has yet to be verified.

On September 10, the NIS stated, “We currently assess that Ju-ae is in the stage of being designated as a successor, and we are investigating the existence of a sibling whose gender is unknown.” Regarding the possibility that Kim has an elder son, the agency explained, “We are continuing to verify this,” but added, “Even if he exists, it is the NIS’s assessment that he is not in a position to become a successor.”

The NIS’s assessment of Ju-ae’s position in the succession process has become increasingly definitive over the past three years. Until 2023, the agency had left open the possibility that Kim Jong-un might have an elder son. In a report to the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee last July, the NIS identified Ju-ae as a leading candidate for succession while leaving open the possibility that another sibling could emerge as successor.

The assessment has become more specific since the beginning of this year. In February, the NIS assessed that Ju-ae had entered the “designated successor” stage, citing indications that she was expressing views on certain North Korean policy issues. The agency reaffirmed this assessment in its September 1 report to the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee.

In particular, the NIS assessed that the recent increase in Ju-ae’s public appearances is intended to establish her in the minds of North Korean citizens as the country’s next leader. The agency noted that Ju-ae has been raising her public profile as a potential successor by consistently appearing alongside Kim at major public engagements, including military and diplomatic events.

Meanwhile, a media outlet previously reported, citing a high-level North Korean source, that all three children of Kim and First Lady Ri Sol-ju are daughters. The report also stated that South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies were revising their previous assessment that at least one of the children was likely a son.

In response, the NIS has maintained its assessment that Ju-ae has a sibling whose gender has not been confirmed, while reiterating that the existence of an elder son has yet to be verified. Given the secrecy surrounding Kim’s family and North Korea’s succession arrangements, further verification will be necessary to determine the gender of Ju-ae’s sibling and whether Kim has an elder son.