North Korean leader touts women as essential to socialism in Women's Day event
Published: 09 Mar. 2026, 19:08
Updated: 09 Mar. 2026, 19:23
![North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and his daughter Kim Ju-ae watch a performance marking International Women's Day on March 8 at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, in this photo released the next day by the Korean Central News Agency. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/09/da196b65-82a9-4bf3-9aa4-7e24fccba4a4.jpg)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and his daughter Kim Ju-ae watch a performance marking International Women's Day on March 8 at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, in this photo released the next day by the Korean Central News Agency. [NEWS1]
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stressed that the role of women is essential to the development of socialism while attending a performance marking International Women's Day on Sunday, state media reported Monday.
Kim was present alongside his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and daughter Kim Ju-ae at the Pyongyang Gymnasium, according to the Rodong Sinmun. The move is widely interpreted as an effort to strengthen internal unity through an event treated as a national holiday in North Korea. It is also seen as reinforcing the standing of Kim Ju-ae, who is viewed as one of the possible successors despite being female.
When referring to Kim Ju-ae’s attendance, the newspaper called her “the beloved daughter.” North Korean media do not identify her by name and instead use expressions such as “the beloved child,” “the respected child” and “the precious child.”
“I, with my warmest feelings, extend congratulations to all our Korean women, for whom I have affection and respect all the time,” Kim said in a speech at the event. “My hearty congratulations also go to all the overseas Korean women. As they have always done, our women add harmony, beauty, warmth and affection to our society.”
“I make a deep bow as an expression of my thanks to our women for the unknown efforts and sincerity they have devoted for the country and men,” Kim said. “In all the positions of our revolution, be they posts for national defense, sites of socialist construction, factories or farms, wherever we go in the country, we can see our women, strong-willed, tenacious, pure-hearted and honest, who are unwilling to show their physical weakness and lag behind men.”
![North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, front row right, is seen seated next to his daughter Kim Ju-ae, during a performance marking International Women's Day on March 8 at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in this screengrab from the state-run Korean Central Television. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/09/5cc4c85b-7baf-4bc3-8461-b9ce07af4d1c.jpg)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, front row right, is seen seated next to his daughter Kim Ju-ae, during a performance marking International Women's Day on March 8 at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in this screengrab from the state-run Korean Central Television. [YONHAP]
Photographs released by the newspaper showed Kim Ju-ae seated between Kim Jong-un and Ri while watching the performance. Other photographs showed Kim Jong-un and Kim Ju-ae sitting together and holding hands.
Several prominent women in North Korea’s leadership were seated in the front row of the audience. They included Kim Yo-jong, sister of Kim Jong-un and director of the General Affairs Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Korean Central Television news anchor Ri Chun-hee.
Experts said the event may also reflect North Korea’s consideration of the possibility that a female leader could emerge through a fourth-generation hereditary succession. By repeatedly exposing Kim Ju-ae to the public, the leadership may be trying to reduce possible psychological resistance among citizens to the idea of a young female leader.
In theory, a female successor is not impossible in North Korea.
![North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, front row right, is seen next to his daughter Kim Ju-ae, center, and wife Ri Sol-ju during a performance marking International Women's Day on March 8 at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, in this screengrab from the state-run Korean Central Television. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/09/69014d33-8d6d-4844-bb0a-ff70572b58c6.jpg)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, front row right, is seen next to his daughter Kim Ju-ae, center, and wife Ri Sol-ju during a performance marking International Women's Day on March 8 at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, in this screengrab from the state-run Korean Central Television. [YONHAP]
A book written by Kim Jae-chon and published in Pyongyang in 1989 states that “the successor to the supreme leader should be selected based on the individual.” It adds that “regardless of whether the person is male or female, young or middle-aged, an outstanding individual can be chosen as successor.”
However, testimony from North Korean defectors suggests that what they describe as feudal male superiority attitudes and patriarchal culture remain widespread inside the country.
A glass ceiling for women also appears to remain firmly in place. At the Ninth Workers’ Party Congress, which concluded on Feb. 25, only 413 of the 5,000 party delegates, or 8.2 percent, were women.
The share of women is even lower within the core power structure.
![North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during a performance marking International Women's Day on March 8 at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, in this screengrab from the state-run Korean Central Television. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/09/4123e50f-fb3f-4c75-b88f-d3a6be75f394.jpg)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during a performance marking International Women's Day on March 8 at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, in this screengrab from the state-run Korean Central Television. [YONHAP]
Among members of the Workers’ Party Politburo, Choe is the only woman. Among alternate members, Kim Yo-jong is the only woman. The figures highlight that the role and status of women in North Korea remain at what some analysts describe as a premodern level.
“Intelligence agencies have assessed that Ju-ae has entered the stage of being informally designated as a successor,” said a researcher at a government-funded think tank on condition of anonymity. “However, the political and social environment surrounding Ju-ae is not easy.”
“Ju-ae’s emergence may also be seen as part of Kim Jong-un’s effort to create a successor environment in which multiple possibilities remain open as he considers fourth-generation hereditary rule,” the researcher said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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