Only Woman Standing in Front of the North Korean Leader: Signs Point to Her Growing Influence

There’s mounting speculation that Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, is in line to succeed her father just a year after her initial public appearance. This speculation comes from recent reports naming her “Morning Star General” and the publication of a photograph where she takes a prominent position ahead of her father—a rare occurrence in North Korean media.

Kim Ju Ae made her first appearance at a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch site in November of last year, and in the past year, North Korean media has featured her in 19 instances.

Initially, most analysts dismissed the possibility of her succession due to her gender and age. The patriarchal North Korean society makes the prospect of a female leader unlikely, and Kim Ju Ae is still a minor, being only 10 years old.

However, there have been indications of her rising status. First, her positioning has changed. During the 75th anniversary parade of the founding of the Korean People’s Army in February, Kim Ju Ae sat with her mother, Ri Sol-ju, and other officials in the VIP section.

During the 75th-anniversary parade commemorating the founding of the North Korean regime in September, Kim Ju Ae held a prominent position. She was seated at the center of a specific podium section alongside her father and key military commanders. In a video released that day, Park Jong Chon, the military affairs director of the Workers’ Party, was captured whispering into Kim Ju Ae’s ear while kneeling on one knee. This was widely interpreted as a gesture of increased respect for Kim Ju Ae.

Most notably, on November 29, Kim Ju Ae took a prominent role while observing a demonstration flight for Aviation Day. In contrast to previous appearances where she stood beside or behind Kim Jong Un, she stood at the center in this photograph, attired in a leather coat and sunglasses resembling those of her father. Such an occurrence, with a North Korean leader taking a background role in a public photograph, is highly unusual.

Second, there has been a change in her honorifics. Initially referred to as “beloved child,” Kim Ju Ae’s title was later elevated to “honorable child.” At the end of last month, she was referred to as the “Morning Star General” at a lecture celebrating the successful launch of a military reconnaissance satellite, according to a Radio Free Asia (RFA) report.

The “Morning Star” was a title used to promote the early revolutionary activities of Kim Il Sung, the first North Korean leader. Kim Jong Un was also referred to by such titles as “General Kim” and “One Star” before he was appointed successor. In an interview, Tae Yong Ho, a former North Korean diplomat and current South Korean lawmaker, claimed that “if Kim Ju Ae has indeed been given the title of Morning Star General, it means that the process of appointing her as a successor has been completed internally.”

Thae added, “The first title that Kim Jong Un was given in January 2009 was General Kim. At that time, the process of appointing Kim Jon Un as successor had been completed internally, and only the formalization of this at a party plenary session remained.”

The South Korean government also appears to have revised its assessment of Kim Ju Ae. Cho Tae Yong, the head of the National Security Office, said that “while it’s not 100% certain, we’ve moved from wondering ‘Could Kim Ju-ae be the successor?’ to ‘It seems like Kim Ju Ae could be the successor, but is that right?'”

Unification Minister Kim Yeon Chul said, “We cannot rule out the possibility that Kim Ju-ae could become the successor.” Minister Kim stated in a press conference on November 6, marking his first 100 days in office, that “(Kim Ju Ae has appeared in North Korean media) 16 times, and I think this is to show the intention of succession both domestically and internationally.” He added, “Due to the lack of achievements and legitimacy to maintain the North Korean regime, they are emphasizing the intention of succession by bringing Kim Ju Ae into the spotlight to induce loyalty from residents and elites.”

By. Hyun Joo Park