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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and daughter Kim Ju-ae watch the nighttime military parade in Pyongyang’s Kim Il-sung Square held for the 75th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army on Feb. 8 hand in hand with his daughter Kim Ju-ae. (KCNA/Yonhap)

Aside from the weapon systems on display at North Korea’s massive military parade Wednesday night, the other matter that attracted attention was Kim Ju-ae, daughter of leader Kim Jong-un.

North Korea’s state-run newspaper the Rodong Sinmun reported Thursday that Kim Jong-un was accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-ju and their daughter Kim Ju-ae at the parade, which was held at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the North Korean People’s Army (KPA). Wearing a black hat and coat, the girl cheerfully watched the parade from her seat in the VIP section while holding her father’s hand.

“Kim Jong-un [. . .] arrived at the square together with his beloved daughter and his wife Ri Sol-ju,” the Rodong Sinmun reported.

“Together with the respected daughter of Kim Jong-un, Jo Yong-won, Presidium member of the Political Bureau and secretary for organizational affairs of the WPK Central Committee, and Ri Il-hwan, Kim Jae-ryong, and Jon Hyon-chol, secretaries of the WPK Central Committee, took the reserved seats for VIPs,” the newspaper said, referring to the Workers’ Party of Korea.

This military parade is the fifth occasion that Kim Ju-ae has been reported as attending in the company of her father. The other four are the launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 18, 2022, a commemorative photo shoot for people who contributed to the development of the ICBM (reported on Nov. 27), an inspection of the ballistic missile arsenal (reported on Jan. 1), and a visit to the lodgings of military leadership to commemorate the army’s foundation (Feb. 7).

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears at the nighttime military parade in Pyongyang’s Kim Il-sung Square held for the 75th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army on Feb. 8 hand in hand with his daughter Kim Ju-ae. (KCNA/Yonhap)

Referring to Kim Ju-ae as the “respected daughter” and naming her before Jo Yong-won, dubbed “Kim Jong-un’s shadow,” and other key members of the Workers’ Party of Korea is itself extremely political, since it implies that Kim Ju-ae is higher in status than key party members. That has prompted speculation that the girl may be Kim Jong-un’s intended successor.

“These images appear designed to at once display and demand the military’s absolute loyalty to the Kim family. It seems a little early to draw conclusions about a succession arrangement,” an official from South Korea’s Ministry of Unification said, while admitting that the ministry is “keeping an eye on all possibilities.”

That contrasts somewhat with South Korea’s National Intelligence Service remark in a presentation to the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee on Jan. 5 that “it would be best not to assume [yet] that [Kim Ju-ae] is the successor.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and daughter Kim Ju-ae stand for a photo with high-ranking party officials during the nighttime military parade in Pyongyang’s Kim Il-sung Square held for the 75th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army on Feb. 8. (KCNA/Yonhap)

Former officials who are familiar with the North Korean power structure say there’s far too little evidence to assume that Kim Ju-ae will succeed her father.

“Before talking about the potential of succession, we would need to confirm that Kim Ju-ae has a substantial position in the Workers’ Party of Korea and that she has accompanied her father to official party meetings or the sites of important programs,” said a former minister of unification and an authority in research on the WPK.

“For the moment, it’s more appropriate to see Kim Ju-ae as being a symbol of the Mount Paektu bloodline and the next generation, rather than part of the succession,” the former official said.

All five of the public occasions that Kim Ju-ae has appeared at with her father have been, broadly speaking, military events.

“It’s too soon to be talking about a successor given the age of Kim Jong-un and Kim Ju-ae,” remarked another former unification minister.

The government believes that Kim Jong-un was born in 1984, and it’s presumed that his daughter was born in 2013.

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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