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Kim Jong-un's daughter's appearance at military parade feeds growing status, succession speculation

Published: 26 Feb. 2026, 20:22

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, attends the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea with his daughter Kim Ju-ae in Pyongyang on Feb. 25. [NEWS1]

Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, appeared at a military parade marking the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang on Wednesday. She stood at the center of the ceremony in a display that highlighted her growing status and added to signs that she may be in line to succeed her father.

Kim Ju-ae attended the nighttime parade alongside her mother, Ri Sol-ju, North Korean state media reported on Thursday.

Observers focused on where Kim Ju-ae stood and what she wore — a leather jacket similar to her father’s — and how she walked down the steps at the center of the formation alongside her father.

In fact, Kim Jong-un walked slightly to the right of the formation. Although Kim Ju-ae remained half a step behind him, analysts said the staging carried symbolic weight, given North Korea’s protocol of placing the leader at the center.

During a briefing to the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee on Feb. 12, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported that Kim Ju-ae has moved beyond basic successor training and is effectively being prepared as the next leader.

The NIS stated that Ju-ae does more than attend events and has taken on a more active role by listening to reports at worksites and sharing her views on how policies are executed.

North Korea has continued to showcase Kim Ju-ae’s presence both domestically and abroad.

A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, his daughter Kim Ju-ae, center, and his wife Ri Sol-ju clapping during an art performance celebrating the New Year at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang on Jan. 1. [EPA/YONHAP]

In September last year, she accompanied her father on a trip to China. In November last year, she attended an event marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean Air Force, during which she stood beside her father in matching sunglasses and leather coats.

North Korean state media on Jan. 1 also released images of her standing at the center of the front row during a visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun — the mausoleum where the bodies of state founder Kim Il-sung and former leader Kim Jong-il lie.

Pyongyang, however, has not disclosed Kim Ju-ae’s official title.

But since 2024, North Korean state media have used the honorific term hyangdo, meaning “one who leads the way,” when referring to her.

Authorities also recently completed a large-scale construction project named “Saebyeol,” or “new star,” a term widely seen as alluding to Kim Ju-ae.

A photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on Dec. 16, 2025, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, inspecting a recently completed industrial complex in Kangdong County on the outskirts of Pyongyang. [EPA/YONHAP]

Meanwhile, Wednesday's parade did not feature new weapons systems, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles.

This was the first time since the 70th anniversary of the founding of the WPK on Oct. 10, 2015, that a parade included no major military hardware, according to the Korea Defense and Security Forum.

Instead, organizers mobilized about 50 marching units— including a formation identified as the “overseas operations unit,” which analysts associate with North Korea’s reported troop deployment to Russia — comprising roughly 15,000 troops,

Some analysts speculated that North Korea may have adjusted the scale of its military display with a possible resumption of dialogue with the United States in mind, as U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to visit China in late March or early April.

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 YOON JI-WON [[email protected]]