A North Korean drama featuring a man preparing a meal has prompted speculation that the scene may be part of efforts to pave the way for the succession of Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Ju-ae. The portrayal of improved status for women in the deeply patriarchal North Korean society is being interpreted as an attempt to bolster Ju-ae, who could potentially become the country’s first female leader. A scene from a North Korean drama showing a man wearing a floral apron and preparing a meal for his wife and daughter drew attention on social media on Sunday. Given that men performing household chores is unusual in North Korea, some observers have suggested that the scene may have been deliberately included with Ju-ae in mind. As there has never been a female supreme leader or successor in North Korea, the scene is being interpreted as an effort to lower the political and cultural barriers Ju-ae could face in the future. The drama, titled “A New Spring in Baekhaktown,” aired in April last year. It follows life at a bottom-ranked farm in North Korea as the people there work to transform the