Kim Ju-ae Makes First Diplomatic Appearance... Foreign Media: "Emerging as Key Figure in Succession"

Debuting on the Diplomatic Stage as a Teenager
BBC: "Kim Ju-ae, the Most Likely Successor"

Foreign media outlets have reported that Kim Ju-ae, the second daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has rapidly emerged as a key figure in the succession structure as she appeared on the diplomatic stage for the first time.

Yonhap News Agency

The Guardian, a British daily, reported on September 2 (local time) that "as Kim Ju-ae made her appearance ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Victory Day military parade in Beijing, speculation is gaining traction that she is being groomed as North Korea's first female leader."

A photo released the previous day by the Korean Central News Agency showed Kim Ju-ae disembarking from a private train after Kim Jong Un. Dressed in a navy suit, she stood behind her father with a smile.

The BBC reported that "while Kim Jong Un's visit to China made headlines, what caught the attention of South Korean observers was Kim Ju-ae, who stood neatly behind her father as she stepped off the private train." The BBC also cited the National Intelligence Service of South Korea, introducing Kim Ju-ae as Kim Jong Un's most likely successor and the only child officially confirmed by the North Korean leadership. It added that no other children have ever appeared in public.

According to expert analysis, Kim Ju-ae would become the fourth member of the Kim family to rule North Korea since President Kim Il Sung in 1949. At just 12 years old, she is said to enjoy horseback riding, skiing, and swimming, and is reportedly homeschooled in Pyongyang.

North Korean media began reporting on Kim Ju-ae after she first appeared at the site of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch in 2022. She later attended a parade commemorating the founding of the Korean People's Army, at which point she began to be referred to as the "respected" daughter.

Michael Madden, a fellow at the Stimson Center, a U.S. think tank, said in an interview with Reuters, "At this point, Kim Ju-ae is the frontrunner to become North Korea's next supreme leader," adding, "Through this visit to China, she is gaining practical protocol experience as a next-generation leader or a core elite."

Rachel Minyoung Lee, another fellow at the Stimson Center, also commented, "In recent years, Kim Ju-ae has expanded her activities from military events to political and economic events," and predicted, "If this visit to China leads to her debut on the international stage, it will be helpful for the succession process."