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This is the most dangerous child in the world. She's probably 12 or 13 years old. At first glance, she looks like any other girl her age.
A detailed investigation into Kim Ju-ae, Kim Jong-un's daughter, her secretive upbringing, and her potential future role in North Korea's leadership.
Key Takeaways
- Kim Ju-ae is being positioned publicly as a potential future leader of North Korea.
- The Kim family maintains extreme secrecy around their private lives, making reliable information rare.
- Her upbringing is marked by luxury but also strategic isolation to protect the regime's image.
- Public appearances with Kim Jong-un are highly orchestrated and symbolically significant.
- International intelligence and rare insider accounts are crucial to understanding North Korea's leadership dynamics.
Summary
- Kim Ju-ae is believed to be the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, possibly 12 or 13 years old.
- She has appeared publicly alongside her father at military parades, missile tests, and state visits since 2022.
- Information about her is scarce, primarily sourced from South Korea's National Intelligence Service, visual analysis, and rare interviews.
- Dennis Rodman revealed in 2013 that Kim Jong-un has a daughter named Kim Ju-ae, whom he reportedly held as a baby.
- South Korean intelligence reports suggest Kim Jong-un has three children, but the existence of a son is disputed.
- Kim Ju-ae is believed to be homeschooled in Pyongyang and spends time at luxury estates including the Ryong Residence and a summer compound in Wonsan.
- She reportedly enjoys horseback riding and skiing, with these activities linked to North Korean elite culture and mythology.
- Unlike her father and aunt, she does not appear to have been educated abroad, possibly to avoid negative propaganda and public scrutiny.
- Her public appearances alongside Kim Jong-un may signal preparation for a significant future leadership role in North Korea.
- The video includes a brief advertisement promoting NordVPN and password security.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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But her future is anything but ordinary. One day, she might succeed her father, one of the most ruthless dictators of our time.
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In 2022, she appeared out of nowhere, but since then, she's been seen at Kim Jong-un's side again and again at military parades, missile tests, and official state visits. Why is North Korea suddenly putting her on display?
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Who is she really? We went through hours of footage, dozens of reports, and Secret Service intel to piece together everything we could find out about her.
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This is the story of Kim Ju-ae, the girl who may one day rule North Korea.
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Confirmed. There's very little reliable information about Kim Jong-un's daughter. Our research is mostly based on reports from South Korea's National Intelligence Service, NIS, on an extensive visual analysis of thousands of hours of North Korean state TV, and on one curious
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interview. It's September 2013. Former basketball star Dennis Rodman has just returned from a trip to North Korea. He has visited Kim Jong-un and his family and talks about his experience in an interview with The Guardian.
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Since early 2013, the two have maintained an unlikely friendship. Rodman repeatedly talks about this in public.
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"We laugh, we sing karaoke, we do a lot of cool things together and we ride horses, we hang out, we go skiing."
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Rodman speaks quite fondly of the North Korean leader. "He's my friend for life. I don't care what you guys think about him."
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On his most recent trip, the two apparently spent some time by the sea, vacationing with the Kim family, Rodman says. According to him, they mainly talked about their shared love for basketball. Rodman claimed they discussed plans for a friendly match between North
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Korea and the US. They even talked about co-founding their very own basketball team. In the very same interview, Rodman also dropped some unexpected insight into the dictator's private life. Kim Jong-un is supposed to have a daughter.
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She's still a baby, and Rodman claims he even held her in his arms. He also reveals her alleged name, Kim Ju-ae.
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But it will take years before the world will actually get to see her face.
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In 2017, South Korea's intelligence service NIS reveals previously unknown details about the Kim family. According to the NIS report, Kim Jong-un has three children, a son born in 2010, a daughter born in 2013, and a third child born in
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2017 whose gender is still unknown. It's unclear why the alleged son has never appeared in public. The NIS suspects he may have health issues. Journalist and North Korean expert Jay Wu Park thinks there may not have been a son at all.
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"Uh, first I met Dennis Rodman and also second, I talked with Kim Jong-un's childhood friend in Switzerland. He got invited to North Korea by Kim Jong-un in 2012 and 2003, and both of them say they heard about the
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daughter Kim Ju and met Kim Ju, Dennis Rodman specifically, but they never heard about a son, an older son. So that indicates, I think, there's no son between Kim Jong-un and Ri Sol-ju. Ri Sol-ju is Kim Jong-un's wife and most
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likely the mother of his children." The first time she's publicly seen at her husband's side is in 2012. In 2018, North Korean state television starts referring to her as the respected first lady.
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The Kim family is notoriously secretive about their private lives. Very little information ever makes it out. But apart from South Korean intelligence reports, satellite images offer rare glimpses into Ju-ae's childhood.
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Her father owns several luxury estates across the country. The NIS believes Ju-ae is homeschooled in Pyongyang. This is where the Kim family's main residence is located, the so-called Ryong Residence, also known as Residence Number 55. In 2018, a Russian
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photographer publishes images of another luxury property situated in the North Korean capital. It's rumored to be a guest house for the regime's VIP visitors. Ju-ae is believed to spend most of her time inside these Pyongyang homes. Her father and his sister Kim Yo-jong
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spent some of their school years in Switzerland. Ju-ae, however, does not appear to be educated abroad. Park thinks this could be a deliberate decision. "It was a big deal after the South Korean media and the US media and
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other media outlets found out they used to stay in Switzerland, and those kinds of things were probably damaging for their propaganda. Also, Kim Ju cannot go to school with the other folks in North Korea
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because they're going to be rumored about, and they're going to be special treatment for her, and people are going to complain about that." The Kim family also spends a lot of time at their summer residences. This is
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likely one of the largest. It's located in Wonsan on North Korea's east coast. Kim Jong-un is said to have spent parts of his own childhood here. And today his children likely do the same as well. The compound appears to have various
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amenities, private beaches, guest houses, luxury yachts, even its very own railway station. This is where Dennis Rodman was invited as well. "We went on the boat and it was all his family, his friends, and dignitaries, stuff like that. But we
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jet skied and jet ski everything with the jet skiing, and we had so much fun."
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Right next to the station is a large area with circular plots. It looks like a horse riding track. According to NIS reports, Ju-ae loves horseback riding.
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Horses play a major role in North Korean mythology. White horses in particular are a central icon of the Kim dynasty.
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Ju-ae is also said to be an avid skier. Just about 50 km west of the Wonsan estate lies this massive ski resort. The regime claims it's supposed to boost domestic tourism. However, critics believe this mega project is little more
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than a private playground for the Kim family and their inner circle. But Kim Ju-ae seems to be more than just a privileged child spoiled with luxury and expensive hobbies. Behind the scenes, the regime may be preparing her for
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of the biggest intercontinental ballistic missiles in the world. With a maximum range of 15,000 km, it could easily travel from North Korea to the US mainland. Today, it's being tested. The regime stages the launch with a meticulously orchestrated video.
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State media declares the test a complete success. The international press takes notice, but quickly fixates on another detail.
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Standing next to the dictator is a little girl. It's Kim Ju-ae's first ever public appearance. The images go viral.
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Father and daughter, casually dressed like they're on a family trip. This may be the most striking image. Kim Jong-un and his daughter holding hands in front of a weapon of mass destruction.
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From the very start, Ju-ae appears to be more than just another fa...
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February 2023, a banquet celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Korean People's Army. State media released photos of the lavish dinner. One of them shows Jouer sitting between her parents right in front of North Korea's highest ranking generals. The image makes Kim Jong-un
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look like a sideshow. Jouer stands out in many other photos from that night. In North Korea, Kim Jong-un is treated as a god-like figure. But in these photos, his daughter is front and center, as if Kim Ju was just as important as her
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father. The next night, there's a massive military parade. Pyongyangs Kim Tuang Square is ablaze with light and flanked by thousands of people. The regime has spared no expenses to flaunt its military power. Every tank, every jet, and every missile is rolled out on a red
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carpet. Thousands of soldiers march before the cheering crowds. And right there at her father's side is Kim Ju, closer to him than ever before.
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No one else could touch Kim Jong-un's cheek or whisper or very intimate to Kim Jong-un. Kim Ju is uh some someone different. Kim Ju is uh is not normal.
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It's not even uh same level with uh Kim Jong-un's wife. So Kim Ju is very special as well. Together they watch as the colossal Hasang 17 intercontinental missile rolls by. Jouer has already seen it and then a white horse comes
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galloping through the parade. The news anchor describes it as the horse most loved by the leader's beloved child.
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From this day on, Jo's public appearances become more frequent. More military parades, more missile tests, and more meetings with top generals.
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Events where children usually don't belong. But each of them has Jouer moving closer from the background to the center.
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In 2023, this image goes viral. It shows Jouer and her father watching the launch of North Korea's first ever spy satellite. In this image, she is standing in front of her father. The New York Times says it's the first time ever
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that Kim Jong-un is relegated to a secondary role in an official portrait. Jouer looks like a miniature version of her father. The black leather outfit is usually reserved for North Korean Air Force. Outside the military, it is only
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worn by high-ranking officials. It looks like Kim Ju is increasingly framed as a strong leader. Japan-based media outlet Nikai Asia analyzed over 14,000 hours of North Korean state TV from 2022 to late 2025.
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The number of days Jouer appears on TV has started to rise sharply in 2024 and is now approaching that of her father.
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More than half of her public appearances have been at military related events. But in recent years, Jouer has been seen more and more at diplomatic meetings both inside and outside North Korea. In 2025, she accompanied her father abroad
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when he met with Chinese President Xiinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Beijing. Kimi's clothing has also grown noticeably more formal and representative over the years. And the fact that she's often seen cheekto-cheek with her father could suggest that she
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is deliberately placed close to power. But what does this all mean? Could Kim Jong-un really be preparing his daughter to become his successor?
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Kim Jong-il ruled North Korea for more than two decades. Just days after his death in 2011, Kim Jong-un was announced as his successor. He's the late ruler's youngest son and about 27 years old.
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Hardly anyone knew him at the time. He'd only been introduced to the public one year prior when he was appointed general. To the outside world, the transfer of power looked seamless. But behind the scenes, it was actually a
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critical moment. Kim Jong-un had to assert himself against senior generals and the party elite. He removed his opponents, including those in his own family and establish himself as undisputed leader. The Kim dynasty lived on.
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The struggle for power taught Kim Jong-un how important it is to secure a succession early, and that insight would become relevant rather sooner than later. According to NIS reports, Kim Jong-un has a very unhealthy lifestyle.
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Heavy drinking, lots of food, little sleep, and this. The 42-year-old Supreme Leader is a notorious chain smoker. A New York Times report claims he is already suffering from cardiovascular issues, the very same problems that contributed to the deaths of both his
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father and grandfather. His health could be one reason for him to publicly prepare a potential successor. Is North Korea's regime actually grooming Kim Ju to become the next Supreme Leader?
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Some observers think her public appearances primarily serve her father's interests. After all, Kim Jong-un is showcasing her at a time when his rule is under huge pressure. When CO hit, North Korea sealed itself off completely. Around the same time, China
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stopped trading with North Korea. This led to a dramatic spike in inflation and skyrocketing food prices. Maybe Kim Jong-un is using his daughter to boost his own image, to project a softer image, and to present himself as a
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loving father figure. North Korea is also deeply patriarchal. A look at North Korea's leadership history shows that so far it's been only men. Women are heavily underrepresented in politics and society in general and systematically discriminated. For decades, it was
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practically impossible to imagine a female supreme leader. But things seem to have changed under Kim Jong-un. His sister Kim Yo Jang is the first woman to hold a central position within the regime. She's vice director of the propaganda and agitation department and
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the country's most prominent voice in foreign policy. Whenever her brother meets with other heads of state, Kimyo Jang is at his side. But now, she's considered one of the most powerful people in North Korea and even a potential successor in her own right.
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We've made an entire video about her. But there's one thing that speaks against Kimo Jung succeeding her brother. North Korea's rule of succession demands that the current dictator be succeeded by a direct offspring. Selecting the sister would be
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a deviation from that direct bloodline. Selecting the daughter wouldn't. Blood is uh more than gender. Uh there's a different hierarchy because there have uh they're they're like king or they're like gods and also it's a fourth generation of dictatorship. So it should
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be new something new. So woman could be uh very excit excited for uh North Korea. State media have started referring to Jouer as the respected daughter, general, and morning star. All these titles carry a highly symbolic weight that suggests she may be primed
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for power. However, to this day, neither her exact age nor her name have been officially confirmed. We can't know for sure what's happening behind closed doors about the power struggles that may be unfolding or the expectations placed on her. Maybe Kim Jong-un just wants to
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project the image of a loving father. Maybe he's deliberately keeping succession open to make sure he will have more than just a single option.
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Maybe he's really preparing Jouer to become the first woman to rule the country. There would be a technical problem, though. In North Korea, children inherit their father's surname.
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So, if Kim Jer becomes supreme leader, her future children would carry a different one. The Kim dynasty would end with her. But Kim Jong-un is a godlike figure with absolute power. If it decides to change the rules of
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succession, who's going to stop him?
Topics:Kim Ju-aeKim Jong-unNorth KoreaNorth Korean leadershipKim familyDennis RodmanNorth Korean intelligencePyongyangNorth Korean regimemilitary parades
