Kim Ju Ae’s contrasting expressions offer clues to her succession training

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service informed the National Assembly’s intelligence committee on September 1 that Kim Ju Ae is effectively being informally designated as her father’s successor. Ju Ae is Kim Jong Un’s daughter, and North Korean state media has recently featured her more prominently. However, many steps remain before she reaches North Korea’s highest seat of power.

Kim Jong Un visited Taesong Mountain Revolutionary Martyrs’ Cemetery in Pyongyang on August 14 to commemorate the 81st anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule. The cemetery houses the remains of those who fought against Japanese occupation and helped establish the North Korean state. Most senior officials wore dark suits, but Ju Ae, wearing a light pink suit, and Kim Yo Jong stood out.

A Japanese resident familiar with the Zainichi Korean community expressed skepticism about the scene’s logic and questioned the choice of attire for Ju Ae’s parents. Academics, however, offer differing perspectives. Professor Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University noted that the royal family can do as it pleases, and Ju Ae does not need to follow party guidelines.

A recent shift in Ju Ae’s facial expressions has caught attention. She appeared expressionless during a performance on July 27, marking the 73rd anniversary of North Korea’s “victory in the Fatherland Liberation War,” where her father teared up multiple times. At a National Circus Troupe performance on August 16, Ju Ae smiled and engaged openly with her father. This pattern continued on September 6, at the commissioning ceremony for the new destroyer Kang Gon, where she appeared cheerful and poised.

These contrasting expressions may reflect natural reactions of a young child, given Ju Ae’s estimated birth year of 2013. The emotional investment in historical events from that era may not be feasible for a child of her age. However, in North Korea, such events serve propaganda purposes, aiming to foster hostility toward the United States and South Korea, as well as to promote unity and loyalty among the North Korean populace.

While Ju Ae’s unique demeanor may underscore her unique position within the Kim family, the path to becoming North Korea’s next leader is not without challenges. Lankov believes an honest leader cannot govern effectively. Ju Ae will eventually have to learn the expected expressions for a leader and practice them. The North Korean system necessitates that the tears displayed by Kim Jong Un, for instance, carry a political function, reinforcing his image as a leader who empathizes with the people.

Recent changes to the Workers’ Party of Korea’s rules have increased the minimum age for party membership from 18 to 20, potentially delaying Ju Ae’s formal entry into the party. As she progresses down the ladder toward supreme power, she will learn to adapt her expressions according to the expectations of the system.