Kim Ju Ae’s leather jackets and honorifics: North Korea grooms a teenage successor

Key facts

• Kim Ju Ae, believed to be 13, debuted in state propaganda in November 2022 at a ballistic missile launch.
• South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) assesses that Kim Jong Un has chosen her as his successor.
• State media has escalated her honorifics from 'beloved child' to 'respected child' and, in early 2024, applied the term 'hyangdo' (guidance), historically reserved for a supreme leader or designated successor.
• Kim Ju Ae has been photographed firing a sniper rifle (early 2026) and operating a battle tank (March 19, 2026) alongside senior party and military officials.
• her fashion evolution: formal suits and skirts resembling her mother Ri Sol Ju, and leather jackets that twin with her father’s preferred attire.
• Kim Jong Un’s succession grooming began in his mid-20s; Kim Ju Ae’s started at age 9, an unprecedented acceleration likely driven by Kim Jong Un’s reported health concerns.
• The regime bypasses a potential older brother, consistent with Joseon dynasty precedents and Kim Jong Il’s choice of Kim Jong Un over his eldest son Kim Jong Nam.
• Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister and a senior party official, is not being groomed because lateral succession would create competing branches of the Paektu bloodline.

A debut at a missile launch

In November 2022, North Korean state media released a photograph of leader Kim Jong Un standing beside a towering intercontinental ballistic missile. At his side was a young girl in black trousers and a white padded jacket, her long hair tied back. She was Kim Ju Ae, his daughter, reportedly nine years old at the time. Her appearance marked her first public debut, linking her symbolically to the nation’s nuclear deterrent. Since then, she has been increasingly photographed with her father at missile launches, military parades, and even on overseas trips. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) believes Kim Jong Un has chosen her as his successor.

Fashion as a tool of legitimacy

Kim Ju Ae’s evolving wardrobe is more than a matter of style. Analysts see it as a deliberate signal of her grooming for leadership. Early images showed her in formal suits and skirts, echoing the attire of her mother, Ri Sol Ju. Cheong Seong-chang, deputy director of the Sejong Institute, told BBC Korean: 'As Ju Ae is still very young, her age could be seen as a potential weakness for a future leader. It appears the regime is dressing her in formal outfits similar to those worn by her mother as a way to mask her youth and project a more mature image.' At other times, she has worn leather jackets and trench coats, clothing that is 'strong in impression and casual,' suitable for visiting military bases. This has the effect of twinning her with her father, who favors black leather. The tactic, known as 'image replication,' has been used by previous North Korean leaders to secure legitimacy. Kim Jong Un himself dressed like his grandfather Kim Il Sung during his early years in power.

From 'beloved child' to 'guidance'

The regime has also deployed a carefully calibrated sequence of honorifics to signal Kim Ju Ae’s rising status. During her 2022 debut, state media referred to her as saranghaneun jajebun ('beloved child'). This soon escalated to jongyeonghaneun jajebun ('respected child'), mirroring the elevation of Kim Jong Un from cheongnyeon daejang ('young general') to jongyeonghaneun dongji ('respected comrade'). In early 2024, the term hyangdo ('guidance') was applied to Kim Ju Ae. This word has historically been reserved exclusively for a supreme leader or a designated successor. The progression of titles suggests a deliberate, long-term campaign to normalize her authority in the eyes of the North Korean public.

An accelerated timeline and military immersion

Kim Ju Ae’s public grooming began at an extraordinarily young age. Kim Jong Il was in his 30s and Kim Jong Un in his mid-20s when their succession preparations started. Analysts believe the acceleration is driven by Kim Jong Un’s reported health concerns, which create a need to fast-track the transition. Recent imagery has shown Kim Ju Ae moving beyond symbolic appearances. In early 2026, state media showed her firing a sniper rifle among senior party and military officials. On March 19, she was photographed operating a new battle tank during a tactical drill. These images embed her in the state’s defense apparatus, transitioning her from protected heir into budding commander.

Why a daughter over a son or sister

The NIS believes Kim Jong Un has three children, reportedly including an eldest son. Yet no older son has ever been officially acknowledged or shown in state media. Some analysts suggest that Kim Ju Ae may serve as a 'human shield' to protect a male successor from global intelligence, but the NIS recently assessed that it would be practically impossible to conceal such a son if he were abroad. Even if an older son exists, bypassing a firstborn male is not unprecedented. During Korea’s Joseon dynasty, royal succession frequently prioritized political viability over birth order. Kim Jong Il similarly bypassed his eldest son, Kim Jong Nam, in favor of Kim Jong Un. The decision to groom a teenage daughter rather than Kim Jong Un’s experienced sister, Kim Yo Jong, stems from the regime’s Paektu bloodline mythology. Mount Paektu is the birthplace of the mythical founder of the first Korean kingdom and the purported birthplace of Kim Jong Il. The mountain symbolizes the Kim dynasty’s noble lineage. Passing power laterally to a sibling would create competing branches of the family and stall generational advancement. The Paektu bloodline dictates strict vertical inheritance from father to offspring.

Overcoming patriarchal conservatism

North Korea has followed a pattern of patrilineal succession for nearly eight decades. Absolute power has transferred from father to son, producing a male-dominated hierarchy that appeared resistant to change. The unprecedented public elevation of a female successor presents a potential disruption to this order. Kim Ju Ae’s gender demands a longer run-up to overcome inherent biases in a male-dominated military hierarchy. By starting early, the regime grants itself years to normalize her image and consolidate authority well in advance of an eventual power transfer. The campaign of mythmaking, linguistic manipulation, and maternal statecraft is designed to legitimize a female supreme leader within a deeply patriarchal society.

The stakes of succession

The question now is not whether the regime intends to install a female supreme leader, but how it plans to make that transition acceptable. The answer lies in a carefully orchestrated blend of fashion, honorifics, and military imagery, all rooted in the Kim family’s dynastic symbolism. If Kim Ju Ae does succeed her father, she would be the first female leader of North Korea and the third generation of the Kim dynasty to rule. The success of this transition will depend on whether the regime can sustain the narrative of her legitimacy long enough to outlast any internal resistance. For now, every public appearance, every outfit, and every title is a step toward that goal.

The bottom line

• Kim Ju Ae, aged about 13, is being publicly groomed as Kim Jong Un’s successor.’s NIS.
• Her fashion choices—from formal suits to leather jackets—are deliberate signals of maturity and authority, often mirroring her father’s style.
• State media has escalated her honorifics from 'beloved child' to 'guidance,' a term reserved for supreme leaders.
• Her early debut and military training (sniper rifle, tank operation) suggest an accelerated timeline likely due to Kim Jong Un’s health concerns.
• The regime bypasses a potential older brother and Kim Yo Jong to maintain vertical Paektu bloodline inheritance.
• The succession campaign uses maternal statecraft and image replication to overcome patriarchal biases and normalize a female leader.