North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Beijing with his teenage daughter, Ju-ae, on Tuesday 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 released photos of Kim being greeted by high-ranking Chinese officials alongside Ju-ae, reporting that he arrived at Beijing Railway Station at 4 p.m.
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 Kim’s flagship armored train by Cai Qi, 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 Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with other leaders, are set to gather.
Ju-ae’s presence is, “in effect, regarded as her debut as a successor,” said 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 stabilization but also through external recognition from its key allies, China and Russia,” 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 previously joined her father in diplomatic activities this year, 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.
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com
![[Exclusive] Ateez to return in November](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/02/news-p.v1.20260902.76162fb0ba55493aad1c076f240d0750_R.jpg?type=h&h=120)