Kim Jong Un has made a striking move in North Korea’s dynastic saga, taking his teenage daughter, believed to be Ju Ae, on her first public overseas trip to Beijing this week. The appearance has sparked renewed speculation that she may be groomed as a future leader.
Little is officially known about her, as North Korea keeps details of the leader’s children tightly under wraps. However, South Korean intelligence sources identify her as the same daughter Dennis Rodman met in 2013, recalling holding her as a baby.
Ju Ae was seen following her father off an armored train from Pyongyang, attending a massive military parade in Beijing commemorating Japan’s World War II surrender. Experts say the outing offers her early exposure to diplomatic protocol and elite-level interactions.
“Ju Ae is gaining essential experience that could prepare her for leadership,” said Michael Madden of the Stimson Center. “This is unprecedented; even her father and powerful aunt never traveled internationally at her age.”
This is her first international appearance, though Ju Ae has gradually been stepping into the public eye, from the launch of an intercontinental missile in 2022 to attending a diplomatic event at the Russian Embassy in May. Analysts note that her expanding public role could be part of a subtle succession strategy.
Estimated to be around 13, Ju Ae is considered by South Korean intelligence as the likely heir, despite the male-dominated hierarchy of North Korea’s leadership.
Rachel Minyoung Lee of the Stimson Center added, “Watching how North Korean media portrays her in China will reveal much about the regime’s intentions. Her visibility at military, political, and diplomatic events shows deliberate grooming for the future.”
While it remains uncertain whether Ju Ae will formally succeed her father, the trip signals a historic step in her political education and could lay the foundation for her eventual role on the international stage.
