Who is Kim Jong-un's mysterious daughter (and possible successor)?

BarcelonaWhen North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un stepped off his green train to Beijing on Tuesday to attend The Chinese government parade commemorating the victory over Japan, a crowd of high-ranking officials were waiting to shake his hand. It was the first time the international community had opened its doors to Kim and invited him to a multilateral meeting. But the real attention-getter was the young woman dressed in black waiting behind him, smiling politely: Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of the North Korean leader.

Ju-ae is, according to South Korean intelligence, the person most likely to succeed her father. Although she did not accompany him on the day of the parade with leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, her presence in Beijing these days has fueled speculation that those around her are grooming her to become the next heir to this dictatorship. A title that comes with one exception: Ju-ae would be the first woman to govern North Korea. Since the regime was founded by Kim Il-sung in 1948, only his direct descendants, all of them men, have led the country. Kim Jong-il took power after his father's death in 1994, and Kim Jong-un assumed power 17 years later when Kim Jong-il died.

Although the regime has treated her figure with great discretion – officially, it has never confirmed either her name or age – Kim Ju-ae is no stranger to the media spotlight. She has been seen at several events since November 2022, when she made her first public appearance after many years of speculation. On this occasion, the young woman accompanied her father while he supervised the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

This event marks the beginning of a series of public appearances that have increased over the years. Several military events stand out—missile and satellite launches and inspections, and visits to arms factories—and meetings with Russian officials—the highest-ranking, Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, at a concert. Another image that went viral was her appearance at the 2024 New Year's Eve concert, where she was seen wearing a leather coat in the leader's favorite style, affectionately kissing her father and briefly touching his chin, in a public physical display almost unprecedented with the Supreme Leader.

Strict policy of secrecy

But what we know about the life of thedear daughterLittle. Ju-ae is estimated to be about 12 years old, but the age is based on her appearance and, above all, on the testimony of basketball player Dennis Rodman, who in 2013 revealed to the newspaper The Guardian who had "held Kim Jong-un's baby Ju-ae in her arms." It was the first time that the existence of a son or daughter of the Korean leader had come to light.

The North Korean royal family's reserved privacy policy makes it impossible to even know the number of the leader's children. Several media outlets speculate that Ju-ae would be the middle child and that she would have an older brother born in 2010 and a younger one, born in 2017. In any case, Ju-ae is the only one who has appeared in public accompanying her father so far. This is quite remarkable considering that Kim Jong-un did not introduce his wife in public until they had been married for several years.

Another indication that the young woman could be the heir to the dictatorship is the adjective that the North Korean regime has used to refer to it. Months after her debut, Ju-ae attended a banquet for senior state officials marking the anniversary of the Korean People's Army. State media then began referring to her as a "respectable" daughter. A seemingly insignificant detail that takes on significance in the Korean context, where this adjective is reserved for the supreme ruler. Kim Jong-un only began to be called "respected comrade" when it was confirmed that he would succeed his father.

Among the limited information available about Ju-ae are her hobbies. According to a report that the government reportedly shared with lawmakers and to which the AP news agency had access, the likely future successor enjoys horseback riding, skiing, and swimming. It also explained that the girl had been schooled at her home in Pyongyang.

However, there are also experts who defend another theory that suggests Ju-ae's public appearances have more to do with her father than with the young woman's future. In reality, they would aim to portray a more friendly image of the supreme leader, accused in the latest report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights of abusing his citizens with forced labor, wage confiscation, and a lack of freedom of expression to "sustain the growth of militarization."