North Korea is one of the most secretive countries on Earth, with the government never even publicly confirming Kim Jong Un’s exact birth date or how many children he has. So, let’s say Kim Jong Un died tomorrow, what would actually happen in the minutes and hours after?
There is no simple answer because North Korea is North Korea, but Kim’s father’s death, the family’s previous transfers of power, and North Korea’s own nuclear policy give us a good idea of what the first day could look like…
1. First things first: His death could stay secret for days
North Korea would almost certainly not announce Kim Jong Un’s death right away. Before saying anything publicly, a small group of senior officials would likely confirm what had happened and ensure the government and military were still functioning.
That is what happened when Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, died on Dec. 17, 2011. State television waited about 51 hours to announce it. And when the news finally aired, the government was already telling the country to rally around Kim Jong Un as the “great successor.”
2. There is no vice president waiting to take over
In the United States, the vice president automatically becomes president if the president dies, but North Korea does not have a publicly known rule like that. It has also never officially named or confirmed the person who would replace Kim Jong Un.
But that also does not mean the entire country would stop running as military leaders, government officials, and the ruling Workers’ Party would continue handling their usual responsibilities while a much smaller group decided who should ultimately lead. The confusing part is that North Koreans (and possibly the rest of the world) might not immediately know who was making the big decisions.
As of right now, there is only one big contender who appears most likely to replace him in the long term…
3. The apparent heir is his 13-year-old daughter
Kim Jong Un’s daughter is widely believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and is thought to be around 13 years old. The world largely calls her Ju Ae because former NBA star Dennis Rodman said he met Kim’s baby daughter by that name in 2013.
She first appeared publicly in 2022, holding her father’s hand in front of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Since then, she has joined him at missile launches, military ceremonies, and an overseas trip to China.
South Korea’s intelligence agency says it has credible information that she is being positioned as his successor. And this is exactly why videos of her go viral in America. She literally looks like an innocent young girl attending events with her dad, until the camera pulls back and she is surrounded by generals, tanks, and nuclear-capable missiles. 😭
And to make things weirder, she may not even be his oldest child. Kim and his wife are believed to have three children, including an older son who has never appeared publicly. Nobody outside Kim’s inner circle knows why Ju Ae — the second child and a daughter in a heavily male-dominated system — is the one being presented as the family’s future.
And keep in mind that Kim Jong Un is a lot younger than most of us think, as he is believed to be only 42. North Korea may not expect to need another leader anytime soon, but if he died tomorrow, his most visible possible heir would be a teenager with no publicly confirmed government job.
4. Kim’s younger sister could take over in the meantime
This is where Kim Jong Un’s adult younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, becomes important. Unlike Ju Ae, she already works inside the government. She is a senior official in the ruling party and regularly delivers statements aimed at South Korea and the United States. If Ju Ae were treated as the family’s future, Kim Yo Jong could be one of the adults exercising power in the meantime.
And yes, Kim Jong Un has an older brother who is believed to be still alive. But this family has shown time and time again that they do not automatically hand power to the oldest son. Kim Jong Un himself is reportedly the youngest son, but both of his older brothers were skipped.
The eldest, Kim Jong Nam, reportedly fell out of favor after Japanese authorities caught him using a false passport in 2001 to visit Tokyo Disneyland. He was later assassinated with the VX nerve agent at a Malaysian airport in 2017.
The other brother, Kim Jong Chul, is believed to be alive but has never been publicly prepared for leadership. A former family chef claimed their father considered him too “feminine” and not forceful enough to rule, though that remains an unconfirmed secondhand account.
In the meanwhile, Kim Yo Jong, the youngest sibling, has spent years building a visible political career. That does not guarantee that she would become the next leader, but it makes her a far more plausible power-holder than either her teenage niece or politically absent older brother.
5. North Korea could go into lockdown before North Koreans learn why…
While the leadership question would be handled in private, ordinary North Koreans would likely begin noticing that something was wrong. Security could tighten around Pyongyang, military bases, government buildings, nuclear facilities, and the country’s already heavily guarded borders.
People might notice canceled events, altered television programming, or a heavier security presence, but we cannot know exactly what measures the government would take. Because North Korean media is state-controlled, citizens could notice that something serious was happening without being told that Kim Jong Un had died.
6. So, what would happen to the nuclear weapons?
North Korea’s nuclear weapons would not suddenly be left unattended. The military would keep guarding them. The real question would be much more frightening: Who now had the authority to order their use?
North Korea’s published policy gives Kim Jong Un sole authority over the arsenal. But a 2022 law says a nuclear strike should happen “automatically and immediately” under a plan made in advance if an enemy attack threatens the country’s leadership and nuclear command system.
That means that the cause of Kim’s death would matter ENORMOUSLY. If he clearly died from an illness or accident, officials would probably focus on transferring control. But if North Korea believed another country had killed him, commanders could assume an attack was already underway, and emergency authority may have already shifted away from him.
The danger would not be a loose nuclear bomb. It would be several governments making urgent decisions without knowing exactly who was giving orders inside North Korea — or what that person believed had just happened.
7. South Korea, the US, Japan, and China would react immediately — but for different reasons
South Korea, the United States, and Japan would watch North Korean missile sites, military communications, and artillery positions while increasing their own readiness. South Korea and the US are military allies, and Japan is another close US ally within range of North Korean missiles.
The difficult part would be preparing for a possible attack without accidentally making the situation worse. Experts have warned that North Korea could misread South Korean or US military activity, which increases the risk of an unintended confrontation. That danger would be especially great during a leadership crisis, when officials on every side might be working with incomplete information.
China would be worried about something slightly different. It shares a border with North Korea, is one of its most important economic partners, and is bound to it by a mutual defense pact. China would likely want to prevent fighting, refugees crossing the border, or nuclear materials becoming unsecured. So, while the US and its allies would focus on preventing an attack from North Korea, China would also be trying to stop North Korea itself from falling apart.
8. Then, North Korean television would finally announce Kim’s death
Once officials had some kind of temporary plan, state television could finally confirm Kim Jong Un’s death. The announcement would likely be highly emotional while also insisting that the government, the military, and the public remain united.
When Kim Jong Il died, veteran presenter Ri Chun Hee delivered the news through tears, and North Koreans were immediately told to rally around Kim Jong Un as the “great successor.”
A future announcement might not directly name Kim Jong Un’s permanent replacement right away, but it could still provide clues. In a country where public appearances are carefully staged, every small detail could help reveal who had gained power.
9. Kim Jong Un could die without the regime falling apart
Kim Jong Un holds extreme power, but North Korea is not run by a single person. The military, ruling party, security agencies, government ministries, and officials across the country would still exist the next morning.
The people at the top would also have a strong reason to keep the system alive. North Korea uses repression and patronage to maintain support from political and military elites, many of whom could lose their power, wealth, freedom, or lives if the government collapses.
North Korea already survived the deaths of Kim Il Sung in 1994 and Kim Jong Il in 2011. So, the most likely immediate outcome would not be the country disappearing or reunifying with South Korea overnight. It would be the same dictatorship continuing while a small group decided who would become its new public face.
10. And lastly, the funeral could reveal A LOT…
The funeral would not happen within the first 24 hours, but planning would likely begin immediately. Kim Jong Il’s funeral took place 11 days after his death, with Kim Jong Un walking beside the hearse as enormous crowds mourned in Pyongyang. His position helped show the country that he was taking over.
Kim Jong Un’s funeral would likely be shown on North Korean television and rebroadcast around the world, but the regime would control every image. If Ju Ae walked closest to her father’s coffin, she could be presented as the family’s future. If Kim Yo Jong led the procession, it could show that she held immediate power. And if an unfamiliar general received the most prominent position, it could suggest that someone outside the family was actually in control. Small things like the order of names on the funeral committee would also be studied for clues.
Now, be honest: Would Kim Jong Un’s death make you feel safer — or would the ambiguity over North Korea’s new leader and nuclear weapons scare you even more? And who do you think would actually take over? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
