North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un frequently appears in public with his daughter Kim Ju Ae, signaling her potential role as his successor. Recent photographs document their joint appearances at major events, including military exercises, tourism zone inaugurations, and New Year celebrations.
This week, South Korean intelligence indicated that the teenager will in fact be her father's successor. Kim Jong Un has reportedly three children, but only Kim Ju Ae has been seen in public.
IMAGE: Kim Ju Ae with her dad Kim Jong Un and mom Ri Sol Ju. All Photographs: KCNA via Reuters
IMAGE: Kim Jong Un and Kim Ju Ae attend an inauguration ceremony for hotels at a tourist resort in Samjiyon City, North Korea, December 20, 2025.
IMAGE: Kim Jong Un and Kim Ju Ae at a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone in Wonsan, North Korea, June 24, 2025.
IMAGE: Kim Jong Un, accompanied by Kim Ju Ae, directs a test of a large-caliber multiple-rocket launch system in an unknown location, North Korea, January 27, 2026.
IMAGE: Kim Jong Un, his wife Ri Sol Ju and their daughter Kim Ju Ae visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to mark the New Year in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on January 1, 2026.
IMAGE: Father and daughter walk hand in hand.
IMAGE: Kim Jong Un and Kim Ju Ae attend the launch ceremony of a warship that had been damaged upon its first attempt to launch in Rajin, North Korea, here and below.
IMAGE: Kim Jong Un and Kim Ju Ae visit the naval command of the Korean People's Army on the occasion of Navy Day, here and below.
IMAGE: Kim Jong Un and Kim Ju Ae watch a fire assault drill.
IMAGE: Kim Jong Un and Kim Ju Ae at the launch of a Choe Hyon-class warship in Nampo.
IMAGE: North Korea observers believe Kim Jong Un wants Kim Ju Ae to be his successor.
IMAGE: Kim Ju Ae is always around her father.
Photographs curated and Feature Presentation by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
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