A teenage daughter enters the diplomatic spotlight
Kim Ju Ae, believed by South Korean intelligence to be around 12 or 13, appeared behind her father, Kim Jong Un, as he stepped off his armored train in Beijing for China's Victory Day commemoration. Dressed in a navy suit and looking poised and composed, she made her first appearance outside North Korea, bringing renewed attention to the question of who might eventually lead the country.
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Her arrival placed a familiar but still mysterious member of the Kim family in an international setting. Until then, her public appearances had centered on weapons tests, military parades and other events inside North Korea. Beijing gave her a different stage: a major gathering attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders.
State images showed Kim Ju Ae near the receiving line at Beijing Railway Station. Accounts from Seoul placed her alongside her father as Cai Qi, Xi's chief of staff, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed the North Korean delegation.
Visible in the images, unnamed in the coverage
North Korean state media highlighted Kim Jong Un's arrival but neither named the girl nor mentioned her attendance. Her presence was visible, while the official description left her role unstated.
That approach kept the ambiguity surrounding Kim Ju Ae intact while still sending a signal through the images. Readers could see her close to the North Korean leader at an important foreign event, even though state media gave them no explanation of why she was there.
For a teenager whose public identity has emerged largely through appearances beside her father, the setting mattered. She had moved beyond domestic ceremonies and military events into the pictures accompanying North Korea's diplomacy.
What is known about Kim Ju Ae?
South Korea's National Intelligence Service, known as the NIS, believes Kim Ju Ae is the second of three children born to Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. The agency estimates that she is around 12 or 13. Reliable details about her life remain scarce.
The outside world first heard her name in 2013. Dennis Rodman, the former NBA basketball star, described holding a baby girl named Ju Ae during a visit with Kim's family in Pyongyang.
Nearly a decade followed without confirmation from North Korea. In November 2022, North Korean state media presented a daughter accompanying Kim Jong Un at the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a weapon designed to travel very long distances. South Korean officials identified the girl as Kim Ju Ae.
From a missile launch to Beijing
Kim Ju Ae's public profile grew rapidly in 2023. She attended a military parade, stood beside her father at missile tests and factory tours, and appeared on commemorative stamps. North Korean outlets also began referring to her through her relationship to the leader.
Those appearances made her a recurring presence in public images of Kim Jong Un. Her trip to Beijing extended that progression from events at home to a gathering abroad.
- 2013: Dennis Rodman described holding a baby girl named Ju Ae while visiting Kim's family in Pyongyang.
- November 2022: North Korean state media showed a daughter at an intercontinental ballistic missile launch. South Korean officials identified her as Kim Ju Ae.
- 2023: Her appearances included a military parade, missile tests and factory tours. She also appeared on commemorative stamps.
- By September 4, 2025: Her appearance in Beijing for China's Victory Day commemoration had brought her onto the international stage for the first time.
Why the visit sharpened the succession debate
Analysts in South Korea, Japan, the United States and Europe interpreted the Beijing appearance as a carefully orchestrated step. Over the preceding three years, Kim Ju Ae had moved from domestic weapons events and parades into the public imagery of diplomacy.
Succession means the transfer of leadership from one person to the next. In North Korea, the question is closely tied to the ruling Kim family and the country's long tradition of treating its bloodline as sacred. A major foreign appearance can serve as a demonstration of status for a possible successor.
Bringing Kim Ju Ae to a multilateral gathering, an event involving several countries, looked like an effort to connect two audiences. Inside North Korea, her presence could reinforce her standing within the ruling family. Abroad, appearing in the company of Xi and other leaders could lend her visibility and recognition.
Her future role remained unresolved as of September 4, 2025. The Beijing appearance intensified debate over whether she was being prepared to succeed her father, while North Korean state media continued to leave her identity and attendance unmentioned in its account of the arrival.
Key Points
- Kim Ju Ae made her first appearance outside North Korea during Kim Jong Un's visit to Beijing for China's Victory Day commemoration.
- Images placed her near the welcome at Beijing Railway Station, but North Korean state media did not name her or mention her attendance.
- South Korea's NIS believes she is around 12 or 13 and the second of Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol Ju's three children.
- Her public appearances have expanded from a missile launch in November 2022 to military events, factory visits and an international gathering.
- Analysts viewed the trip as a possible step in succession preparations. Her future leadership role remained unresolved.
