'Dictator in training': Kim Ju-ae's appearances in North Korean media show she's not just a little girl anymore
A new analysis of state media footage traces North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter from a protected child to a figure increasingly presented as preparing for power.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju-ae, far left, visits the Korean People's Navy headquarters on Aug. 27 to encourage service members in an image from North Korea's state-run Korean Central Television. In the image, then-Navy Commander Adm. Kim Myong-sik salutes Ju-ae.YONHAP
[A STUDY OF KIM JONG-UN 12]
Rows of North Korean naval generals stood in formation and saluted without hesitation. Then came a strikingly incongruous scene: A smiling 10-year-old girl casually extended her hand to each of them in turn, as if greeting guests at a friendly gathering.
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The contrast was jarring, yet to those present it appeared perfectly natural.
The moment unfolded on Aug. 27, 2023, when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the Korean People's Army Naval Force with his daughter, Ju-ae. After saluting Kim and exchanging handshakes, then-Navy Commander Adm. Kim Myong-sik immediately introduced himself and saluted Ju-ae as well.
She unexpectedly reached out her hand first. The four-star admiral appeared momentarily flustered before quickly shaking her hand, bowing even lower than he had to Kim Jong-un himself.
About two weeks later, during a military parade marking the 75th anniversary of North Korea's founding, Pak Jong-chon — then-head of the Workers' Party Central Military Commission and one of the country's most powerful military figures — knelt at Ju-ae's feet and whispered a report to her while covering his mouth.
A marshal of the North Korean People's Army, the highest rank available to a military officer, Pak had only recently returned to the post after a brief dismissal. His exaggerated smile suggested he already understood whose favor mattered most.
Three months later, Korean People’s Army Air Force Commander Gen. Kim Kwang-hyok took the display a step further. While shaking Kim Jong-un's hand, his gaze remained fixed on the daughter standing beside him. His tense expression alone reflected Ju-ae's growing stature.
To South Koreans, Ju-ae was merely a fourth-grade student in elementary school, believed to have been born in 2013. But within North Korea's power structure, she was clearly no ordinary child.
North Korea's state-run Korean Central Television on Sept. 9, 2023, aired a recorded broadcast of the country's 75th founding anniversary military parade, held the previous evening at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang. In the image, Pak Jong-chon, then-head of the Workers' Party Central Military Commission, far left, kneels on one knee as he whispers to Kim Ju-ae, daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.YONHAP
According to sources familiar with the matter, Ju-ae often scolded adults around her, saying things such as, "What's this? Do it properly!" She reportedly addressed even senior generals in that manner. Kim is said to have been particularly pleased by his daughter’s confidence.
A North Korean defector, speaking anonymously, said Kim admired Ju-ae's competitive spirit and outgoing personality because they reminded him of himself.
Kim’s own father, late leader Kim Jong-il, reportedly valued similar traits. A former senior official for the National Intelligence Service, South Korea’s top spy agency, said intercepted intelligence indicated that Kim Jong-il's decision to choose Kim Jong-un as his successor was influenced by watching him play basketball as a child — by his boldness and determination to win.
The JoongAng Ilbo analyzed roughly 300 hours of Ju-ae's publicly released photographs and videos together with Jiem and Gitdum, a personal branding research company specializing in nonverbal communication. Although Ju-ae has never spoken publicly, the analysis argues that her actions have spoken louder than words.
According to the researchers, Ju-ae has transformed in just over three years from a protected figure into one increasingly portrayed as the one who will be doing the protecting.
The institute analyzed nearly every publicly available video featuring Ju-ae since her first appearance in November 2022, coding interactions frame by frame to measure physical contact, distance between individuals, positioning and other behavioral indicators.
Researchers divided her evolution into three distinct phases.
The protected daughter
When Ju-ae first appeared during the launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2022, she was presented primarily as an innocent child under her father's protection.
In 151 of the 187 minutes of footage analyzed — about 81 percent — Kim Jong-un was holding her hand or embracing her. Ju-ae typically stood half a step behind or beside him, while Kim kept her within about 50 centimeters (20 inches) of him.
According to Kim Yeo-jeong, CEO of Jiem and Gitdum, such staging was deliberate.
"Everything involving the Paektu bloodline [North Korea’s ruling Kim clan] shown by North Korean media is intentional because its fundamental purpose is propaganda," CEO Kim said. "This arrangement portrays Ju-ae as someone on the periphery of power rather than at its center."
At the time, Ju-ae appeared less like a potential successor than as a device to emphasize Kim Jong-un's image as a caring father. South Korean and foreign intelligence agencies likewise considered it unlikely that she had already been chosen as successor.
Becoming a public figure
The image began changing during the second half of 2023 and the first half of 2024.
Ju-ae increasingly walked alongside her father rather than behind him. The frequency with which they appeared side by side rose from 35 percent to 58 percent, symbolically allowing her to share public attention with her father.
Her eye contact with cameras also lengthened. Initially, she looked into the cameras for only about half a second before looking away. During this period, she maintained eye contact for nearly two seconds, reflecting greater awareness of her public role.
It was during this period that Ju-ae began naturally receiving salutes from generals and initiating handshakes herself.
Oftentimes, she disappeared from public view for several months before returning noticeably more mature. Experts believe she may have spent those periods reviewing footage of herself to learn appropriate public behavior and ceremonial protocol expected of a member of the ruling Paektu bloodline.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, seated, and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, far left, observe a test launch on April 19 to evaluate the warhead power of the upgraded Hwasong-11 Ra short-range tactical ballistic missile.YONHAP
Training for power
Since the second half of 2024, Ju-ae has increasingly been portrayed not simply as Kim's daughter but as someone preparing for leadership.
Researchers found that scenes showing Ju-ae walking ahead of Kim or receiving ceremonial treatment independently appeared in 61 percent of relevant footage.
During celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Korean People’s Army Air Force last November, Ju-ae encouraged pilots single-handedly before offering a formal bow to a military flag while standing alone on a red carpet. Three- and four-star generals followed behind her, providing protocol reserved exclusively for her.
In December, North Korean state media released footage of Ju-ae walking ahead of Kim during his visit to inaugurate a provincial factory. In North Korea, no one is allowed to walk in front of the country's supreme leader. By allowing Ju-ae that rare privilege and broadcasting it to the public, the regime appeared to be sending a deliberate message. Analysts say the display is part of a process designed to prepare the public for a possible succession.
Kim again brought Ju-ae to observe the test launch of cluster munitions on April 19. As the missile launched, Ju-ae alone rose from specially prepared observation seats, standing upright with her hands clasped while watching its trajectory. Kim remained seated beside her, resting his chin on one hand. The composition made Ju-ae appear even more central than her father.
Researchers argue that even Kim himself never occupied such symbolic space while being trained by Kim Jong-il.
"When Kim Jong-un appeared alongside his father, he usually stood behind him or some distance away, wearing an unremarkable Mao suit," CEO Kim said. "Ju-ae, by contrast, walks beside her father and tends to perform actions that naturally draw attention."
In March, North Korean media also showed Ju-ae personally driving one of the country's new main battle tanks while Kim Jong-un rode beside her. South Korea's National Intelligence Service described the scene as an homage to Kim's own succession process. When Kim drove a tank in 2012 at age 26, however, Kim Jong-il remained at a distance rather than riding with him.
The researchers also cite the "figure-ground" theory in behavioral psychology, which holds that people instinctively distinguish the main subject from the background within visual scenes.
North Korean media have long drastically used that principle to elevate Kim Jong-un. Now, they argue, Ju-ae is increasingly being positioned as the central figure herself — even standing between Kim and his wife Ri Sol-ju during their January visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun.
At the same time, Ri and Kim’s powerful sister Kim Yo-jong increasingly function as what researchers describe as "lighting devices" that draw attention to Ju-ae. Ri lacks Paektu bloodline status, while Kim belongs to a collateral branch of the ruling family. Their public roles appear increasingly focused on reinforcing Ju-ae's legitimacy as the heir apparent.
During the International Women's Day celebration on March 8, Kim Yo-jong sat behind Kim Jong-un and Ju-ae, enthusiastically applauding while father and daughter held hands in the front row.
Kim Ju-ae, daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, drives a new tank during a combined infantry and tank assault exercise held at Training Base No. 6 in Pyongyang, in an image run by North Korea's state-run Korean Central Television on March 20.YONHAP
Learning the weight of the crown
Researchers argue that Ju-ae herself appears increasingly conscious of the role she is expected to play.
One indicator is her smile.
A genuine smile involving both the mouth and muscles around the eyes is known as a Duchenne smile and typically reflects spontaneous emotion. Public figures, however, often suppress genuine emotional expression in favor of socially controlled smiles.
The study found that Ju-ae's genuine smiles steadily declined over time. During her earliest appearances, 78 percent of her smiles were classified as genuine. That figure fell to 45 percent during the second phase and 28 percent in the most recent period.
Conversely, socially controlled smiles rose from 22 percent to 55 percent, then to 72 percent.
Researchers say the shift reflects her transformation from a relaxed child expressing authentic emotions into a public figure increasingly conscious of how she appears, and, more recently, into someone whose facial expressions are shaped by the responsibilities of her assigned role rather than by her feelings.
The carefree smile of childhood has gradually disappeared as the girl has come to understand power. North Korea had already placed its "dictator in training" on center stage.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
