"Kim Jong Un's Daughter Kim Ju Ae Deliberately Exposed on Korean Central TV for Over 600 Days in Three Years"

Kim Jong Un’s Daughter Ju Ae Discussed as His Successor in North Korea
Exposed to Public for Over 600 Days Since First Appearance Three Years Ago
“Production Hints at Succession... Imprinting the Existence of His Daughter”

An analysis has found that Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and widely discussed as his successor, has appeared in public for more than 600 days over the three years since her first appearance on North Korea’s Korean Central Television in November 2022.

In a documentary film about Kim Jong Un's visit to China, released by North Korea's Korean Central Television last September, Ambassador Ri Ryong Nam is seen bowing at a 90-degree angle to Chairman Kim, who visited the North Korean Embassy in China together with his daughter Ju Ae. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On November 25, Yonhap News Agency, citing Japan’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei), reported that “an artificial intelligence (AI)-based facial recognition program analyzed 14,115 hours of footage from Korean Central Television on a website operated by Korea Risk Group, and found that since November 2022, there have been more than 600 days on which Kim Ju Ae could be seen at least once.”

In particular, this year, she has appeared on Korean Central Television on more than 24 days each month. Although her total airtime does not compare to that of Chairman Kim, her appearances have been remarkably frequent. Most of her TV appearances are in propaganda videos that combine music and images, often showing her alongside captions referring to Chairman Kim as the “Great Leader.”

Additionally, an analysis of more than 6,500 pages of Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea, by extracting the term “offspring,” found that Kim Ju Ae first appeared on November 19, 2022, and that most articles about her were published on the front page.

Tomohiko Kawaguchi, a professor at Nihon University, told Nikkei, “This is a production that hints at succession,” adding, “They are imprinting the existence of his daughter in the minds of the people.”

Chairman Kim attended the launching ceremony of the new destroyer "Ganggeonho" last June with his daughter Juae. Photo by Yonhap News

Kim Ju Ae has made appearances at major North Korean military events. She was seated on the platform during the 75th anniversary military parade for the founding of the army in February 2023, as well as the 75th anniversary parade for National Foundation Day (September 9) in September of the same year. At that time, a scene was released showing Park Jong Chon, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission and the highest-ranking officer in the North Korean military, kneeling and whispering to Ju Ae.

Last September, she accompanied Chairman Kim to Beijing for the 80th anniversary ceremony of China’s Victory Day. According to the National Intelligence Service, she stayed at the embassy during the visit, refrained from going outside, and reportedly boarded the special train for the return trip in advance. However, she did not appear at the 80th anniversary military parade for the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea in October.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.