As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened Seoul and vowed to continue expanding his sanctioned nuclear weapons programme at the party congress, the big question was whether his 13-year-old daughter would be anointed as his heir.
That news, or any unquestionable indication of it, didn't materialise this week.
But it has launched a debate about the young Kim Ju Ae's viability as the next leader for the country of 25 million - a dictatorship which has only ever been ruled by a member of the Kim family.
The party congress, a key meeting of North Korean leaders and officials that takes place every five years, is usually watched closely for Kim's message to Seoul and Washington.
But this time the focus shifted. Last week Seoul's spy agency briefed lawmakers that it believes Kim has selected his daughter as his heir, and that she was seen giving her opinion on policy matters.
