SEOUL: Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s young daughter Ju Ae – and his possible successor – made her first public appearance outside of the hermit kingdom.

The girl, who is believed to be around 13 years old, accompanied her father at a grand military parade in Beijing to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II.

Her existence was first publicly revealed in 2022 by North Korean state media, which published photos of the father-and-daughter pair holding hands in front of a giant intercontinental ballistic missile. She has appeared at several events since then.

Analysts believe her public prominence in recent years means Kim Jong Un has marked her as his designated successor, which would make her the first woman to serve as supreme leader.

Their trip to China appears to have cemented that, according to South Korean lawmakers who cited the country’s spy agency.

“I believe … that the daughter has been shown publicly almost 30 times since November 2022, often at military venues like a missile factory or military parade and so on,” North Korea scholar Sung-yoon Lee told CNA.

“That's clearly sending the message to the world that she will inherit Kim Jong Un's power one day,” added Lee, a principal research fellow at the Sejong Institute who has provided advice to the United States government on North Korean affairs.