North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting China with his daughter Kim Ju Ae has sparked widespread attention. According to current information, this is the first time Kim Ju Ae has appeared in an international setting. Speculation on whether she is Kim Jong Un’s successor has once again become a focal point of public opinion. In fact, the name Kim Ju Ae is a speculation from the outside world, as the North Korean official has never disclosed the real name of Kim Jong Un’s daughter.
When Kim Jong Un arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, September 2, Kim Ju Ae stood behind her father and in front of top North Korean officials, including Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon.
Kim Ju Ae wore a dark suit, and her hairstyle reminded people of her mother, Ri Sol Ju, when she made public appearances.
According to reports from the Associated Press, Kim Ju Ae did not make any public appearances on Wednesday. Kim Jong Un, along with Chinese Communist Party Leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin, attended a military parade held in Tiananmen Square.
Due to the highly closed and controlled nature of the North Korean regime, very little is known about Kim Ju Ae. It is believed that she is around twelve or thirteen years old.
Kim Ju Ae’s identity is shrouded in mystery as North Korean officials have never disclosed her personal information. North Korean state media describes Kim Jong Un’s daughter as a “beloved” girl but has never directly named her.
The first person to reveal information about Kim Ju Ae to the outside world was former NBA star Dennis Rodman. After a 5-day trip to North Korea in September 2013, Rodman claimed to have “held their baby girl Ju Ae.” Thus, the speculation arose that Kim Jong Un’s daughter is named Kim Ju Ae.
The exact age of Kim Ju Ae remains a mystery to the outside world, but South Korean intelligence officials believe she was born in 2013.
During a closed-door briefing with parliament members in 2023, South Korea’s main intelligence agency stated that besides Kim Ju Ae, they believe Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, have an older son and a younger third child, but the gender of the third child is unknown.
Kim Jong Un chose to publicly introduce his rarely seen daughter for the first time during a major military event (intercontinental ballistic missile test launch) in November 2022, causing widespread attention.
North Korean media released a series of photos of Kim Jong Un and his daughter at the missile test event, marking the first public appearance of Kim Ju Ae’s photos. She was wearing a white coat and red shoes, looking from afar as the missile launched, hand in hand with her father.
Carefully coordinated public appearances for Kim Ju Ae included missile tests, military parades, and the launching ceremony of a naval destroyer. Recently, Kim Jong Un has expanded his daughter’s public appearances from military events to include some economic and cultural activities, including the completion ceremony of a seaside resort in June this year.
In many photos from various occasions, Kim Ju Ae stands in significant positions, even taking the spotlight from her mother, Ri Sol Ju. North Korea has even issued 8 commemorative stamps featuring photos of the father-daughter duo.
With Kim Ju Ae appearing in public more frequently and gaining higher exposure in North Korean official media, speculation that she could be Kim Jong Un’s successor has grown. The news of her first visit to China with her father further fueled this speculation.
Last year, the South Korean National Intelligence Service released a cautious assessment report, based on a comprehensive analysis of Kim Ju Ae’s public activities and the national etiquette she received, suggesting she could be her father’s successor.
However, the agency noted that since the 41-year-old Kim Jong Un is still relatively young, has not shown significant health issues, and has other children, there are various possibilities for the power succession process in North Korea.
Initially, some South Korean officials and experts expressed doubts about whether Kim Ju Ae could become a future successor, citing that North Korea’s power structure is predominantly male-dominated. Since 1948, North Korea has been ruled by male members of the Kim family in rotation.
North Korean official media has not directly commented on any plans for Kim Jong Un’s succession after him. The official media also did not comment on whether Kim Ju Ae has siblings.