Kim Ju-ae
Kim Ju-ae | |
|---|---|
 Kim Ju-ae and her father, North Korea's leader | |
| Born | circa 2014 |
| Other names | Kim Eun-ju |
| Parent(s) |
|
Kim Ju-ae is a prominent North Korean youth.[1] She is the daughter of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.[2] The Kronen Zeitung reports her first appearance with her father was in early 2023.[3] It noted that the two frequently appeared in matching uniforms. Her exact age is unknown. As of August 2024[update], commentators suggested she was just ten years old.
Kim Jong-un has had Kim Ju-ae at his side for ceremonial occassions, triggering speculators to suggest she is his chosen successor.[1] Her aunt, Kim Yo-jong, has also been suggested to be Kim Jong-un's choice of successor, as she is his most truested advisor, and is a member of the Kim family. But, Kim Yo-Jong escorted Kim Ju-ae to the podium, and bowed to her, when she symbolically opened a new military site, on August 9, 2024. Speculators claimed this symbolic act of deference confirmed Kim Ju-ae was Kim Jong-un's final choice of successor.
Commentators muse over Kim Jong-un's apparent choice of Kim Ju-ae, as his successor, for various reasons, including:
- North Korean culture is unusually resistant to recognizing female leadership.
- She is believed to have at least one brother, and commentators wonder whether there is something wrong with her brother(s).
- There is an isolated mountain, in the far north of Korea, with a symbolic meaning for Koreans. Kim, and the previous leaders, his father and grandfather, Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung, are all supposed to have been born within sight of this mountain -- but Kim Ju-ae was not.
In 2024 the Kronen Zeitung has reported that an additional factor that might have led Kim to prefer to his daughter over her older brother is that the North Korean contacts of former South Korean National Intelligence Service official Choe Su-yong informed him that older brother Kim Ryong-ju, was thin and frail.[3]
On February 12, 2026, BBC News, reported that South Korean analysts have concluded that, while, in recent years, analysts had merely asserted it looked lik Kim Ju-ae was being groomed for leadership, they expected Kim Jong-un would soon officially announce she was his choice of successor.[4] They cited that Kim Ju-ae had recently stated political positions, on her own.
According to The Korea Times, a former official at the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Choe Su-yong, asserts that Kim Jong-un's friend, American basketball bad-boy Dennis Rodman, is the one who first identified her as Kim Ju-ae, making a mistake because he is not fluent in Korean.[5] They quoted Choe:
|
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Kwak Yeon-soo (2024-08-09). "Footage of Kim Yo-jong bowing signals NK leader's daughter as heir". Korea Times. Archived from the original on 2025-07-22. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
Recent footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's young daughter being escorted to the podium by her aunt, Kim Yo-jong, at a ceremony in Pyongyang has sparked speculation that the child may be considered her father's potential successor.
CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ↑
"The Last Heir? Kim Ju-ae And North Korea's Succession". HRNK. 2025-09-25. Archived from the original on 2026-02-13. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
Even if a woman takes power in a country like North Korea, experts predict little will change. Female leaders would likely adopt similar traits. Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un’s sister, has publicly demonstrated this: her statements are often harsher than her brother’s. While Kim Ju-ae may face limits modeling herself after previous leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, if she becomes leader, she is expected to rule as a dictator modeled on Kim Jong-un. The main difference would be the elevated status of women in North Korea.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1
"Kim Jong-un should hide his son: he is "too thin"". Kronen Zeitung. 2024-02-23. Archived from the original on 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
It is assumed that Kim Jong Un is also trying to emphasize his resemblance to his grandfather in order to strengthen his own legitimacy. His daughter Ju Ae fits well into this picture, as the girl is not exactly thin either. As she also resembles the dictator in her facial features, it could be that this is why he has decided to establish his daughter as his successor and future ruler. They like to appear in public in matching outfits.
CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ↑
Jake Kwon (2026-02-12). "Kim Ju Ae: North Korea leader Kim Jong Un chooses daughter as heir, Seoul says". BBC Home. Archived from the original on 2026-02-13. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
'As Kim Ju Ae has shown her presence at various events, including the founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army and her visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, and signs have been detected of her voicing her opinion on certain state policies, the NIS believes she has now entered the stage of being designated as successor,' Lee said.
- ↑
"North Korean leader's daughter known by wrong name: expert". The Korea Times. 2023-11-16. Archived from the original on 2023-11-16. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
'Kim’s first child is a son, and his name is Il-bong,' Choe said, adding that he is an illegitimate child and his mother is North Korean singer-turned-politician Hyon Song-wol. 'Kim’s youngest child is believed to be five years old or less. It remains unknown whether that child is a girl or a boy, but the child was born out of wedlock, too. The mother of that child is a Korean Japanese pianist. She is known by her first name Ryo-sim. But I don’t have any further details about her,' he added.