North Korea's Kim Jong Un debuts daughter – and potential successor

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When North Korea‘s chief Kim Jong Un stepped off his armored practice in Beijing to attend celebrations marking 80 years because the finish of WWII in Asia, his younger daughter Kim Ju Ae stunned the cameras as she appeared then adopted alongside him. Believed to be 12 or 13 years outdated and known as “beloved little one” in North Korean state media, this was her first identified journey exterior the nation.

To informal observers, Kim Ju Ae’s look Tuesday is perhaps seen as a father-daughter bonding journey. However her arrival in China could possibly be greater than that: Kim Jong Un‘s sign that she is within the combine for future succession plans.

“As a result of when North Korea finalizes their successor course of, they’re used to bringing this successor to China,” stated Park Gained-gon, professor of North Korean Research at Ewha Womans College and director of the Institute of Unification Research in Seoul. “Displaying them is sort of their custom.”

China North Korea — On this photograph supplied by the North Korean authorities, North Korean chief Kim Jong Un is greeted by China’s Senior Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi in Beijing, China, Sept. 2, 2025. He’s together with his daughter Kim Ju Ae. Unbiased journalists weren’t given entry to cowl the occasion depicted on this picture.

Korean Central Information Company/Korea Information Service by way of AP

Kim Jong Un’s father, Kim Jong Il, introduced him to Beijing to current him as a successor when he was believed to be in his mid-20s. Kim Il Sung, the nation’s founder, did the identical for his son Kim Jong Il. The intent was to start constructing the subsequent political relationship with Beijing for the long run.

In recent times, Kim Ju Ae has appeared along with her father at main public occasions inside North Korea.

North Korea Kim's Daughter What to Know — On this photograph supplied by the North Korean authorities, North Korean chief Kim Jong Un and his daughter arrive on the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre in Pyongyang, North Korea, June 29, 2025.

AP

One problem, nevertheless, is that Kim Ju Ae is feminine, and North Korea is a patriarchal society.

“We aren’t 100% as a result of Kim Ju Ae is just a 13-year-old lady and never an grownup in any respect. So it is too early to say that she’s (completely) going to be the subsequent successor,” stated Park, “and Kim Ju Ae would not have any sort of navy expertise.”

As for Kim Jong Un’s journey itself, his go to to Beijing is a large political win on the world stage together with his choreographed proximity to China’s President Xi Jinping as proof. The 2 walked stride-by-stride earlier than China’s spectacle of a parade then sat side-by-side, and front-and heart, over Tiananmen Sq. as Chinese language troops goose-stepped and as new Chinese language navy {hardware} rolled down the Avenue of Everlasting Peace.

Xi might have picked any chief of the greater than two dozen who traveled in for the commemoration — together with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Myanmar’s navy junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. However it was Kim on his left, and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on his proper. And these optics had been designed to ship a message of unity — and towards Washington and the proverbial West.

China Parade — On this photograph launched by Xinhua Information Company, Xi Jinping and overseas leaders together with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un stroll to Tiananmen Rostrum forward of a ceremony to commemorate the eightieth anniversary of Japan’s World Battle II give up in Beijing, China, Sept. 3, 2025.

Shen Hong/Xinhua Information Company by way of AP

“It is undoubtedly Kim Jong Un’s political victory,” stated Park. Xi “picked Kim Jong Un as the highest function after which he’s displaying his affection to North Korean Kim Jong Un to the world.”

Kim’s greatest win, says Park, is the “normalized relationship between North Korea and China” after six years of no face-to-face contact. “And it’ll assist North Korea in future dialogue or dialog with President Trump. I feel there’s a risk that Trump would attempt to meet Kim Jong Un once more.”

Ramy Inocencio

Ramy Inocencio is a CBS Information overseas correspondent based mostly in London, masking Europe and the Center East. He joined the Community in 2019 as CBS Information’ Asia correspondent, based mostly in Beijing and reporting throughout the Asia-Pacific, bringing 20 years of expertise working and touring between Asia and the US.

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