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Will Kim Jong-un bring his daughter to China? Precedents suggest it's possible.

Published: 01 Sep. 2025, 16:23

Kim Ju-ae, daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The state-run China Central Television (CCTV) on Sunday aired footage of 21-year-old Nikolai Lukashenko sitting at the VIP table during the welcome banquet for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.

Nikolai is the youngest son of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, 71, whose country became a full SCO member in 2024. He also attended the military parade in Tiananmen Square marking the 70th anniversary of victory in World War II a decade ago.

The appearance of Belarus’s “prince” has fueled speculation in China that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may appear on the Tiananmen rostrum this Wednesday alongside his daughter, Kim Ju-ae.

President Lukashenko was welcomed at a rare family banquet by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Chinese Communist Party's leadership compound of Zhongnanhai on June 4, where Xi’s only daughter, Mingze, 33, was also present, according to Minsk’s first deputy prime minister.

Chinese social media has already begun buzzing with predictions of Kim Ju-ae’s possible visit. A WeChat account with a name that translates to“Common Sense Studio” on Sunday revisited Korean Central Television footage from April 25 of the launch ceremony for the submarine Choe Hyon, where the North Korean leader's sister, Kim Yo-jong, appeared with her son and daughter, accompanied by senior officials Pak Jong-chon, Kim Tok-hun and Jo Chun-ryong with their grandchildren, all disembarking from Kim Jong-un’s private train.

Nikolai Lukashenko, circled in red, the third son of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, third from left, sits next to his father at the VIP table during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit welcome banquet in Tianjin on Aug. 31. Currently an exchange student at Peking University, he is expected to appear again at Tiananmen on Sept. 3, following his 2015 visit. [CCTV]

“Since Kim Jong-un deeply cherishes his beloved daughter, he may bring her to the Beijing event,” speculated the account.

Lin Haidong, a Chinese blogger specializing in North Korea, previously analyzed the Choe Hyon ceremony, noting, “It has been a tradition since the Kim Jong-il era for senior North Korean officials to attend such events with their spouses and children.”

The blogger added that this reflects the North’s dynastic mechanism: “For the first 30 years, sons respect their fathers by watching them; for the next 30 years, fathers command respect by watching their sons.”

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, left, walks with his third son Nikolai Lukashenko during the Victory Day 70th anniversary ceremony on Sept. 3, 2015. Nikolai, now studying in China as a Peking University exchange student, is expected to return to Tiananmen on Sept. 3. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Kim Jong-un’s attire at Tiananmen is also drawing attention. He wore a Chinese tunic suit rather than a Western suit at both his 2018 and 2019 summits with U.S. presidents in Singapore and Hanoi. Observers are watching whether he will opt for a Western suit and tie, like Kim Il Sung did when he appeared in Tiananmen on Oct. 1, 1959, or wear a tunic suit like Chinese President Xi — distinguishing himself from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who usually dons a Western suit.

Kim’s armored train is expected to cross the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge over the Yalu River today. In that case, another focus will be whether Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, attends the welcoming ceremony at Dandong Station, as is customary. Liu, rumored to have fallen out of favor, has not made a public appearance since visiting Algeria on July 31.

Beijing’s Public Security Bureau is also preparing for Kim’s arrival. In addition to the Tiananmen area, where the parade will be held on Wednesday, authorities announced on Saturday that they will enforce one-way traffic around Beijing Railway Station, where Kim’s train will arrive. Hotels in Dandong have been barred from accepting foreign guests, and ticket sales for trains from Dandong to Beijing were suspended as of Monday.

Foreign guests attending China’s 70th Victory Day anniversary parade on Sept. 3, 2015, pose for a commemorative photo in front of the Forbidden City’s Duanmen Gate. Nikolai Lukashenko circled in red, then 11, appeared again at the Aug. 31 Shanghai Cooperation Organization banquet in Tianjin and is expected to return to Tiananmen on Sept. 3. Choe Ryong-hae, secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, is seen at the far left of the second row. [YONHAP]

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.
BY SHIN KYUNG-JIN [[email protected]]