Will Kim Jong Un Become "President Kim Jong Un"?

[Financial News] Observers are suggesting that Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, may assume the title of "President" once used by his grandfather, President Kim Il Sung.
The U.S.-based North Korea–focused outlet 38 North reported on the 3rd (local time) that the presidential system could be revived in North Korea. It said this may occur around the expected 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea and the subsequent session of the Supreme People's Assembly.
38 North noted that, starting in September 2024, North Korean sources began referring to Kim Jong Un as the "head of state." In a September 2024 statement, Kim Yo Jong, a vice department director of the Workers' Party of Korea, used the phrase "independent intelligence agency directly under the head of state." During the same month, while the Supreme People's Assembly was in session, North Korean media reported that "the head of state delivered an important speech."
Given how extremely cautious North Korea has been in handling its leader's titles, 38 North interpreted this shift in wording as more than a rhetorical choice. It argued that the change is likely a signal of impending institutional reform. In particular, the term "head of state" matches the constitutional definition of the position of "President of the Republic," which Kim Il Sung held until his death in 1994.
In the 1972 revised constitution, Article 89 defined the President of the Republic as the "head of state." However, in September 1998, after Kim Il Sung's death, the Supreme People's Assembly amended the constitution and abolished the presidential system. As a result, Kim Jong Il, who inherited power from Kim Il Sung, ruled North Korea not as president but as Chairman of the National Defence Commission and General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea.
The North Korean constitution, as made public in 2023, defines Kim Jong Un's current position as President of the State Affairs Commission as the "supreme leader of the Republic." However, although North Korea revised the constitution at Supreme People's Assembly sessions in October 2024 and January 2025, it has not disclosed the specific articles that were amended.
Analysts note that North Korea often withholds details on sensitive matters for some time, so it is possible that changes to Kim Jong Un's legal status have already been written into the constitution. The growing use of the title "head of state" for Kim Jong Un is seen as reflecting further concentration of power and progress in efforts to elevate his personality cult.
If the presidential system is restored and Kim Jong Un assumes the title of president, North Korea's policy-making structure and future succession arrangements will almost certainly change. Some analysts suggest that the State Affairs Commission would gain further prominence, while the role of meetings of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea could be relatively reduced.

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km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter