North Korea, also known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has been at the center of attention in international affairs on various topics in the last decade. One of which was the recent exposure of the current supreme leader's daughter, Kim Ju-Ae, who many expect to be the next heir of the Kim dynasty. Nonetheless, the reality of succession is complex, and various factors can play a role in altering the winner of the game. This research uses game theory to analyze the characteristics of players, preferences of strategies, variance in interactions, and the consequencing payoffs to simulate North Korea's next succession of power. Specifically, this research highlights the significance of praetorians, or Kim's security-intelligence guards, in determining the next winner of the throne. Further, this paper discusses how the new female leader will influence the DPRK's foreign policy, and denotes alternative variables that were not included in this research due to limited information.
Yong Jin Kim (2024) studied this question.