North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and his daughter, Ju-ae, supervise a paramilitary parade held at Kim Il Sung Square to mark the 75th anniversary of the regime establishment in this Sept. 9, 2023 photo carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently promoted Kim Jong-sun, the chairwoman of the Central Committee of the Socialist Women's Union of Korea (SWUK), as the head of the social organization department of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), which is seen as an unprecedented move, according to analysts.

The personnel changes were announced during the 10th plenary meeting of the Workers' Party of Korea's 8th Central Committee, held from Friday to Monday, to review state policy performances in the first half of this year.

This is the first time a woman was appointed to the position of head of the social organization department of the WPK, according to the Ministry of Unification. The ministry said it is closely monitoring developments in North Korea.

Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Strategy at the Sejong Institute, suggested that the promotion of women to leadership roles could indicate preparations for a smoother transfer of power to Kim Jong-un's young daughter, Ju-ae.

"Expanding women's presence in the political scene and increasing the number of women in leadership roles signal that Kim Ju-ae's succession is likely. Some women leaders like Kim Jong-sun may appear as Ju-ae's advisor or confidant in the future," Cheong said. "Although there is no official announcement yet, it seems like the North Korean leader has already begun planning his succession."

Kim Jong-sun, the chairwoman of the Central Committee of the Socialist Women's Union of Korea / Yonhap

Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, noted that Kim Jong-un has taken a different approach compared to his father Kim Jong-il or grandfather Kim Il-sung in appointing more women to high-ranking positions.

"The head of the social organization department plays a key role in building North Korea's propaganda strategy. Since Kim Jong-un came to power, several women, like his sister Kim Yo-jong, his wife Ri Sol-ju, Deputy Director of the WPK's Propaganda and Agitation Department Hyun Song-wol and former Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, have gained more visibility and political power in the reclusive regime," Cho said.

He added: "Kim Jong-un has also started bringing along his daughter, Ju-ae, to public events. The idolization of Kim Ju-ae has accelerated lately."

Ju-ae, described as a "great person of guidance" by North Korea's state-run media, has been appearing publicly with her father since late 2022 during inspections of military facilities, fueling speculation that she may be next in line for succession.

Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, arrives to attend a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the North Korean leader at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometers from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, Sept. 13, 2023. AP-Yonhap

Moon Seong-mook, chief of the Unification Strategy Center at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said the rise of women's political power coincides with the increasing economic and social influence of women within the regime.

"I think the latest promotion news of Kim Jong-sun sends out a clear message that women can reach high-ranking positions if they are competent and loyal to the regime. Kim Jong-un's biggest concern is seeking greater internal unity and blocking outside information and culture," Moon said.

He added that North Korea recently aired commercials of female reporters playing golf in its latest effort to brand itself as a "normal state" and promote tourism.