Speculation has emerged that Kim Jong Un, Chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission, could inherit the ‘President’ title once used by his grandfather, President Kim Il Sung.

38 North, a U.S. outlet specializing in North Korea, said on the 3rd (local time) that the presidency could be revived on the occasion of the Workers' Party 9th Party Congress, expected to be held soon, and the subsequent Supreme People's Assembly.

38 North noted that since September 2024, North Korea has repeatedly used the term ‘head of state’ to refer to Kim.

In a September 2024 statement, Kim Yo Jong, a vice department director of the Workers' Party, used the expression ‘a direct, independent intelligence agency under the head of state,’ and during the Supreme People's Assembly last September, North Korean media reported that “the head of state delivered an important speech.”

38 North analyzed that, given how extremely cautious North Korea has been in handling a leader's titles, such a shift should be interpreted not as a mere rhetorical choice but as a signal foreshadowing institutional change.

In particular, the expression head of state is identical to the constitutional definition of the ‘President of the Republic’ position that Kim Il Sung held until his death in 1994. Article 89 of the constitution amended by North Korea in 1972 defines the President of the Republic as the ‘head of state’.

However, in September 1998, after Kim Il Sung's death, North Korea amended its constitution at the Supreme People's Assembly and abolished the presidency. Kim Jong Il, who inherited power thereafter, ruled North Korea not as President but as Chairman of the National Defense Commission and General Secretary of the Workers' Party.

As for Kim Jong Un's title of ‘Chairman of the State Affairs Commission,’ North Korea's constitution, published in 2023, defines it as ‘the supreme leader of the Republic.’ However, although North Korea amended the constitution at the Supreme People's Assembly in October 2024 and January 2025, it did not disclose the details.

Given that North Korea often withholds sensitive matters from public release for a period of time, some analyses suggest it cannot be ruled out that a change in Kim Jong Un's legal status has already been reflected in the constitution.

The use of the appellation ‘head of state’ for Kim Jong Un is seen as reflecting an intention to consolidate his power base and intensify the cult of personality.

Some also suggest that if the presidency is revived and Kim Jong Un assumes the presidency, it could affect North Korea's policy decision-making structure and succession landscape. There is also a view that the status of the State Affairs Commission could be strengthened while the role of the Party Politburo meetings may be relatively reduced.