Kim Jong Un arrives in Beijing with daughter Ju Ae
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Kim Ju Ae was seen standing next to her father, Mr Kim Jong Un, as he was welcomed in front of his flagship armoured train by Mr Cai Qi, President Xi Jinping’s chief of staff, along with Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
PHOTO: AFP
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BEIJING - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Beijing with his teenage daughter, Ju Ae, on Sept 2 afternoon to attend China’s celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released photos of Mr Kim being greeted by high-ranking Chinese officials alongside Ju Ae, reporting that he arrived at Beijing Railway Station at 4pm.
The KCNA report, however, made no mention of Ju Ae accompanying her father.
Ju Ae was seen standing next to her father as he was welcomed in front of Mr Kim’s flagship armoured train by Mr Cai Qi, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s chief of staff, along with Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Since Ju Ae made her debut in state media in November 2022, this marks the first time she has accompanied her father on an overseas trip.
Observers in Seoul noted the significance of Ju Ae’s presence at the multilateral diplomatic event, where Mr Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with other leaders, are set to gather.
Her presence is, “in effect, regarded as her debut as a successor”, said Dr Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies.
“In North Korea, power succession has traditionally been consolidated not only through internal stabilisation but also through external recognition from its key allies, China and Russia,” Dr Lim said.
“In this context, Kim Ju Ae’s attendance at China’s Victory Day celebrations alongside her father is seen as a calculated strategy for a successor debut, or for securing such recognition.”
Ju Ae had joined her father in diplomatic activities in 2025, including visiting the Russian Embassy in North Korea on May 8 for Russia’s Victory Day and watching a concert with Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova in June. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
