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Kim Jong Un set foot in Beijing Tuesday for his first visit to China in years, accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, also thought to be his successor, per South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).
The young girl is believed to be around 12 or 13 and her debut appearance outside of her home country signals a possible role as North Korea’s heir-in-waiting, a parenting expert suspects. She was first publicly introduced in North Korea in 2022.
Dressed in a smart black suit, Kim Ju Ae followed her father as they were welcomed by Communist Party officials ahead of China’s military parade, marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II.
On Wednesday, she may stand alongside Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and China’s President Xi Jinping.
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A parenting expert warned that bringing Kim Ju Ae onto the global stage at a young age could carry consequences.
“She’s being shaped into a role, rather than being supported to figure out who she is as an individual and that pressure could have a huge impact on her mental health,” Kirsty Ketley told Fox News Digital.
“Even the most carefully groomed successor, like she could be, would struggle when thrust into leadership and even when later in life.
“It’s likely she’ll be under constant coaching, but that doesn’t remove the emotional weight of having your future decided for you at such a young age.”
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North Korea’s famous father and daughter left Pyongyang on Monday for the international event, crossing into China by armored train to watch the country’s biggest-ever display of military power.
The event will last 70 minutes and include soldiers, tanks, anti-drone systems and aircraft passing through Tiananmen Square as President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin look on.
So far, Kim Ju Ae has been seen at a missile launch in November 2022 and other public events in North Korea in June.
NIS has claimed Kim Ju Ae enjoys skiing, horse riding, and swimming, and is privately homeschooled in Pyongyang, per the Associated Press. She is also said to appear on postage stamps in North Korea.
Ketley said Kim’s daughter should be looking ahead to high school and testing boundaries in relatively safe environments.
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“Kim Ju Ae doesn’t get those usual luxuries because her playground is now military parades and meetings with world leaders,” Ketley warned. “While she may be carefully shielded and trained, internally she could well be experiencing anxiety, confusion, or even loneliness. Intense public pressure can stunt children’s emotional growth.”
Despite Tuesday’s global introduction, the public is not aware of Kim Ju Ae’s exact age. It’s thought she is the second of three kids that Kim Jong Un has with his wife, Ri Sol-Ju, as the dictator remains secretive about his family.
Retired NBA star Dennis Rodman inadvertently revealed the girl’s existence over a decade ago in an interview with The Guardian.
During a 2013 trip to Pyongyang, Rodman told reporters he had “held the baby Ju Ae,” calling Kim Jong Un a “good dad.”
“If I were advising Kim Jong Un, I’d urge him to balance his daughter’s exposure to power with opportunities for normality, including friendships, play and chances to fail, which are the building blocks of resilience,” said Ketley.
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