Kim Jong Un, daughter Kim Ju Ae’s parade appearance fuel succession debate

Photos released by North Korean state media on Thursday showed Kim Jong Un standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, in coordinated leather jackets during a major military parade in Pyongyang, a visual display that has reignited debate over a possible succession plan.

The images were published as events wrapped up marking a key meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party. Kim and his daughter were seen observing a large-scale military procession, dressed alike in dark leather outerwear often associated with the North Korean leader’s most significant public appearances. Kim’s wife, Ri Sol Ju, also appeared at the event in similar attire.

North Korea has been governed by the Kim family for generations, with state ideology heavily centered on the so-called “Paektu bloodline,” a narrative that reinforces the family’s legitimacy and authority. Ju Ae’s increasingly visible role at high-profile state events has fueled speculation among outside observers that she is being positioned as a future leader.

Analysts say the clothing choice was unlikely to be coincidental. The leather jacket has become closely tied to Kim Jong Un’s carefully cultivated image as commander-in-chief and guardian of national strength. Outfitting his daughter in the same symbolic style, experts argue, sends a deliberate political message.

Additional photographs showed Ju Ae walking beside her father along a red carpet as he received salutes from senior military officials, further highlighting her prominence at the ceremony.

South Korea’s intelligence agency recently assessed that Ju Ae appears to have been identified as a potential successor. However, some specialists caution that while her status has clearly risen, she still participates publicly as the leader’s child rather than as a formal officeholder within the party structure.

Ju Ae first entered the public spotlight in 2022 when she accompanied her father to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Prior to that appearance, her existence had only been publicly referenced by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who visited North Korea in 2013.

Although Pyongyang has never disclosed her exact age, analysts estimate that Ju Ae is in her early teens. In recent appearances, she has drawn notice both for wearing high-end fashion accessories and for occasionally adopting her father’s signature look, reinforcing perceptions that her public image is being carefully shaped.