- Kim Jong Un arrived in Beijing with daughter Kim Ju Ae for China's military parade
- Kim Ju Ae, aged 12 or 13, made her first overseas trip with Kim Jong Un
- South Korean intelligence suggests Kim Ju Ae is being groomed as successor
In a bulletproof train, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Beijing with his teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, to attend China's largest-ever military parade on Wednesday. This is the first overseas trip that his daughter is believed to have taken with the North Korean leader. Her presence has fuelled speculations about the future of North Korean leadership.
All About Kim Jong Un's Daughter
Kim Ju Ae made her public debut in November 2022, accompanying her father at a missile test launch. Since then, she has made several public appearances with her father at military parades and diplomatic events. But North Korea hasn't revealed details about her.
Media reports have also speculated that Kim Ju Ae is North Korea's "most likely" successor. As per a report by BBC, she is the second of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol-Ju's, three children. However, it's not confirmed as the world doesn't know much about Kim's family because of North Korea's tightly controlled state media.
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Kim Ju Ae is either 12 or 13 years old. In 2023, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it believed she was around 10 years old, but some reports also claimed that she was born in 2012.
In fact, it was former American basketball player Dennis Rodman, who identified her as Ju Ae. Rodman spent time with Kim's family in 2013 and even described holding her as a baby. He had called Kim an "awesome guy" and told The Guardian that the leader was also a "good dad" to his baby daughter.
As per The Associated Press, NIS revealed that she was homeschooled in Pyongyang and enjoys activities such as horseback riding, skiing and swimming.
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The South Korean intelligence also suggests that Kim Ju Ae is being groomed to succeed her father as the supreme leader of North Korea. And her increasing public appearances with high-ranking officials also suggest the same, but there's no confirmation yet.
As quoted by The New York Times, Cheong Seong-chang, a North Korea expert at the Seoul-based Sejong Institute, said that the scene at the Beijing railway station "showed that she was being treated as No. 2 of North Korea not only at home but also abroad".
"By taking her to China, Kim Jong-un is sending a strong signal to the world that she is going to be his successor."
However, some analysts argue that her chances of becoming North Korea's No. 1 are low, as the nation might not promote a female to become a leader.
