What is known about Kim Ju Ae? Kim Jong Un's daughter and possible successor

2025-09-02 22:46:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

What is known about Kim Ju Ae? Kim Jong Un's daughter and possible

Kim Jong Un's arrival in China for his first multilateral summit was always going to be a media sensation. But it was the elegantly dressed girl standing right behind him as he stepped off his armored train that caught the attention of Korea watchers: Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of the North Korean leader.

According to South Korea's spy agency, Ms Kim is the most likely successor to her father. But details, including her exact age, are scarce.

What exactly do we know?

Miss Kim has been believed for several years to be the second of three children born to Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol-Ju. However, their exact number and order are far from certain: Kim is very secretive about his family, introducing his wife to the public only after they had been married for some time. Kim Ju-Ae is their only child whose existence has been confirmed by the country's leadership. No other children have been seen in public.

News of its existence first emerged from an unexpected source: basketball player Dennis Rodman, who revealed to The Guardian newspaper in 2013 that he "held Kim Jong Un's baby, Ju Ae" during a trip to the secretive state.

Little was heard of her until November 2022, when she appeared alongside her father at the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). By February of the following year, she was appearing on postage stamps and attending banquets for senior officials, described as Kim Jong Un’s “respected” daughter. The title “respected” is reserved for the most respected of North Koreans. In her father’s case, he was only called “respected comrade” after his status as the next leader was cemented.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) gave lawmakers additional details about the little girl around the same time, according to the AP news agency. They said she enjoyed horseback riding, skiing and swimming and was home-schooled in the capital Pyongyang. They said she was about 10 years old. By January 2024, the NIS had reached a different conclusion: that the little girl was the “most likely” successor to Kim Jong Un, though they noted that there were “many variables” still at play, not least because of her father’s young age. Since then, she has appeared alongside her father on numerous occasions. Standing next to him at intercontinental ballistic missile launches and military parades, she has taken center stage and received military salutes from top military commanders.

Tuesday marked the first time she has been seen outside North Korea, and the trip is likely to further fuel speculation that she could succeed her father.

The Kim family, which has ruled North Korea since 1948, tells citizens that they come from a sacred bloodline, meaning only they can lead the country. However, there is speculation that Kim has introduced his daughter at this point to overcome prejudice in the deeply patriarchal state, which has never been led by a woman.