Kim Jong-un’s daughter may follow him as leader. For now, she mirrors his look.

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Kim Jong-un’s daughter may follow him as leader. For now, she mirrors his look.

Published: 13 Mar. 2026, 07:00 Updated: 13 Mar. 2026, 15:12

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, and his daughter, second from left, wear long black leather overcoats as they arrive at a ceremony in Wonsan, Kangwon Province, to mark the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the regime's air force on Nov. 28, 2025, in this photo released two days later by Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central News Agency. [YONHAP]

When the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appeared beside her father at a military parade in Pyongyang in February, she was dressed much like him — in a black leather trench coat.

Widely identified as Kim Ju-ae, though never named by Pyongyang’s state media, the girl struck a visual parallel with her father as columns of soldiers and missile units marched below.

Her attire also contrasted sharply with the childlike clothing she wore in her first appearance in state media in November 2022. While her outfits for formal occasions initially resembled those of her mother, Ri Sol-ju, they have gradually come to mirror her father’s style in recent years.

In a political system where images of the leadership are tightly choreographed, observers say the clothing worn by Kim’s daughter carries symbolic weight. Over the past three years, her attire has become part of a broader visual narrative about status, lineage and the possible future of the Kim dynasty.

A debut framed by military power

When Kim’s daughter made her state media debut in November 2022, her clothing drew almost as much attention as the appearance itself.

Photographs from state media showed her wearing a white puffer jacket as she walked beside her father during his predawn inspection of a Hwasong-17, which was then the North’s most advanced rocket, just before its first test launch.

Lee Sung-yoon, a principal fellow at the Sejong Institute’s Center for Korean Peninsula Strategy, noted that Kim’s daughter “looked her age” with her clothing, which he said which he said “befitted an approximately 9- or 10-year-old child.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and his daughter attend a test launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 18, 2022, in this photo released by Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central News Agency the following day. The test marked Kim's first appearance in North Korean state media. [YONHAP]

The garment she wore at the launch resembled styles produced by European luxury outerwear brands such as Moncler and Dior — labels that can sell children’s coats for well over $1,000. Her red patent leather shoes, tied with decorative bows, also stood out at an event where most attendees wore leather military boots.

Beyond its price tag, the white jacket stood out against the dark machinery at the launch site and the khaki-colored jacket worn by Kim Jong-un.

One widely circulated photograph of the event showed father and daughter walking away from the Hwasong-17 just before its launch at dawn — an image that appeared to highlight the familial bond between them.

The somberness of winter coats

In the months that followed, when Kim’s daughter appeared in state media, her clothing often mirrored the sartorial choices of her mother, Ri Sol-ju — somber yet feminine garments that marked her as a “princess of the North’s ruling party,” according to Lee.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, and his daughter, left, attend a banquet in honor of the regime's armed forces on Feb. 7, 2023, in this photo released the following day by Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central News Agency. The outfit worn by Kim's daughter mirrors the ensemble worn by his wife Ri Sol-ju on the right. [YONHAP]

In photographs of a banquet in honor of North Korean military officers that took place on Feb. 7, 2023, Kim’s daughter wore a dark suit jacket, matching skirt and white shirt with a black rhinestone brooch pinned to the knot of her tie. Her mother wore a similar outfit, but with a collarless black blouse.

The following day, both Kim Jong-un and his daughter appeared on the reviewing platform overlooking a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the regime’s armed forces. State media images showed them standing together as columns of troops, armored vehicles and intercontinental ballistic missiles passed through Kim Il Sung Square.

For the parade, she wore a long dark coat with a fur collar and a different bejeweled brooch pinned to the lapel. She also wore a hat, likely to shield against the chill of the nighttime event.

The wardrobe choices avoided the bright colors or casual clothing typically associated with childhood, instead reflecting the solemn tone of military commemorations and her mother’s understated style.

Left: Kim Jong-un's daughter was photographed by state media wearing a quilted down jacket during a visit to a factory on Jan. 7, 2024. Right: A photo of a highly similar jacket on the Dior website, where it was listed for $1,900 at the time. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Luxury and lineage

While Kim’s daughter has not worn many identifiable luxury accessories, the few she has sported appear in line with her family’s penchant for items and clothing that are all but inaccessible to ordinary North Koreans.

In addition to coats from European designer brands, state media photographs show her sporting accessories such as a Cartier watch that observers believe was imported from abroad.

Such items echo the fashion choices of other prominent women in the Kim family.

Kim Jong-un’s wife, Ri Sol-ju, has drawn attention for carrying a Gucci handbag in photographs published by state media. Similarly, Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, has appeared in tailored coats and structured handbags produced by Dior.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, third from left, tours an amusement park in the Wonsan Kalma resort on North Korea's eastern coast on June 24, 2025, in in this photo released two days later by the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper issued by Pyongyang's ruling Workers' Party. His wife, Ri Sol-ju, far left, can be seen carrying a Gucci handbag, while his daughter, second from left, appears to sport a Cartier wristwatch. [NEWS1]

The presence of these items in official imagery highlights a long-standing paradox within North Korea’s leadership. While the country promotes an ideology of austerity and self-reliance, members of the ruling family have maintained access to imported luxury goods for decades, despite international sanctions targeting the regime’s nuclear and missile programs.

Lee said the paradox of conspicuous consumption by North Korea’s ruling family is that it does not anger ordinary North Koreans.

“Not one North Korean defector I’ve talked to said they thought ill of the Kim family for appearing well-fed or well-clothed before they escaped the regime,” he said. “In the traditional Korean psyche, it’s not only the king’s right to appear portly, but it is also inappropriate for him to be skinny or gaunt. The same applies to his attire.”

He also noted that the international sanctions regime “has been hollowed out” by rising global tensions. “Sanctions are not self-enforcing,” he said. “Many countries, such as China, are increasingly apathetic about enforcing them, and unscrupulous actors in those countries can easily obtain items for the Kim family’s consumption.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and his daughter attend an event marking International Women's Day in Pyongyang on March 8 in this photo released the following day by Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party. [NEWS1]

Beyond the parade ground

After 2023, public appearances by the leader’s daughter began to extend beyond ceremonial and military settings, and her clothing shifted accordingly.

During several weapons inspections and factory visits that year, state media showed her wearing simpler dark winter coats rather than the more formal garments seen at the 2023 parade.

By 2025, her public appearance began to shift more overtly to match the tone of the events she attended. The change suggested that the regime was gradually integrating the young girl into a wider range of state activities while adjusting her outfits accordingly.

Shifts in her demeanor also became apparent.

“She appears less giddy and excitable than when she first made her media debut,” said Lee, adding that she “is more cool and collected in the presence of senior officials, who are usually older men.”

At the June opening ceremony last year for the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist zone — a major development project on North Korea’s eastern coast — she appeared wearing a white skirt suit paired with beige heels, a clear departure from the heavy winter coats that had defined many of her earlier appearances. The lighter-colored attire underscored the ceremony’s emphasis on tourism and leisure.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, fourth from right, and his daughter, third from right, are greeted by Chinese officials as they step off their train in Beijing on Sept. 2, 2025, in this photo released by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency. [YONHAP]

Later that year, during a trip to Beijing — the first time she was reported to have accompanied her father on a visit abroad — photographs circulated showing her stepping off a train in a dark belted formal jacket, trousers and low-heeled shoes.

The outfit resembled the restrained formalwear associated with diplomatic protocol. It also mirrored the understated attire favored by senior North Korean officials during overseas visits, suggesting the regime was presenting her as part of the leadership entourage rather than simply as a child accompanying her father.

Matching in leather

One noticeable change in the outfits worn by Kim’s daughter in photographs published by state media is her increasing use of leather garments. On several occasions, she has worn jackets and coats that closely resemble the styles favored by her father, who is often shown wearing leather jackets while speaking with generals or observing drills with senior officers.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's daughter examines a rifle gifted by her father to senior party and military officials at a ceremony on Feb. 27 in this photo released the following day by the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party. [NEWS1]

Lee speculated that the North Korean leader prefers this material because “he thinks it looks good on him and helps distinguish him among world leaders.”

Photographs published over the past few years have increasingly shown his daughter dressed in matching leather outerwear while accompanying him at those events. The coats she has worn typically echo the silhouettes favored by her father while being tailored to her smaller frame.

Photographs released by state media on Thursday showed Kim’s daughter wearing a black leather bomber as she took part in target practice at a portable munitions factory alongside other senior military officers dressed in uniform.

The daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from right, shoots a pistol during target practice alongside senior party and military officials at a portable munitions factory on March 11 in this photo released the following day by the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party. [NEWS1]

Such choices stand out partly because leather outerwear is relatively uncommon among North Korea’s political elite, whose members are more often photographed wearing dark wool overcoats or their official garb.

The repeated pairing of father and daughter in leather outfits at these appearances has led some analysts to suggest that Kim Jong-un is deliberately aligning her with his own authority — and sending a visual signal that she occupies a key role in the regime’s evolving narrative about the future of the Kim dynasty.

“North Korea is a theater state. Her clothing and physical placement at the center of gatherings send a deliberate message to domestic and international audiences,” said Lee. “These are all signs that, when put together, have a cumulative effect on the North Korean narrative of building up this little girl’s credentials."

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]