Kim Jong Un’s active leadership through late August 2026, including his presiding over an enlarged Workers’ Party politburo meeting on August 25 to review policy implementation, underpins the 96% trader consensus against his removal by year-end. State media has accelerated efforts to center the regime’s identity on his personal authority and “people-first” governance, evidenced by reduced emphasis on prior leaders’ legacies and constitutional revisions elevating his monolithic leadership system. Strengthened ties with Russia and China, plus economic gains from weapons-related cooperation, further stabilize his position amid U.S. diplomatic overtures that Pyongyang has not yet engaged. Succession signaling around his daughter remains forward-looking and does not indicate near-term transition. Only an unforeseen health crisis or elite-level challenge could alter the current trajectory within the short resolution window.