Kim Jong Un, the Chairperson of North Korea, visited China for the first time in 6 years and 8 months, drawing attention from global media to his 12-year-old daughter, Kim Ju-ae, standing beside him. This visit to China is analyzed as a stage for officially debuting his daughter, who is seen as a strong candidate for succession, on the international diplomatic stage, as well as a declaration of the 'fourth-generation hereditary rule' of North Korea.
At 4 p.m. (local time) on the 2nd, Kim's private green train arrived at Beijing Station. As Kim stepped down in a black suit, top Chinese officials, including Cai Qi, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, welcomed him. Right behind him, Kim Ju-ae, dressed in a navy suit, followed. While Kim received greetings from the Chinese side, Ju-ae stood right behind him, watching all the scenes.
This is the first time Ju-ae has left North Korea with her father. Foreign media have assigned particular significance to this unusual accompaniment. The British BBC reported that 'the moment Kim Jong Un stepped off the armored train, Ju-ae, dressed neatly, followed behind him, capturing the attention of North Korean experts within Korea.' The British Daily Mail described Ju-ae's appearance as a 'shock appearance,' stating that it 'ignited speculation that she is being prepared to inherit the regime.' Singapore's Straits Times noted that the National Intelligence Service reported to the National Assembly in January that Ju-ae is the 'most likely successor' to Kim.
Ju-ae is the only 'Baekdu lineage' officially recognized by the North Korean leadership to date. The North Korean leadership has never publicly acknowledged any of the other children. Ju-ae first appeared in the media through former American basketball player Dennis Rodman, who visited North Korea in 2013. She remained out of sight for a long time after that. Then, she reappeared in November 2022 at the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch site alongside Kim, after a nine-year hiatus. Starting in 2023, she has repeatedly appeared at military-related events and has been referred to with the highest leader-level honorifics such as 'noble offspring' and 'respected.'
However, the BBC pointed out that Kim Jong Un is still in his early 40s and there may be resistance to female leaders in the patriarchal North Korean regime. Some experts analyze that highlighting Kim Ju-ae may be a strategy to dilute the negative image of the Kim Jong Un regime that has solidified due to nuclear and missile development.