This picture taken on February 25, 2026 and released by North Korea's North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae attend a military parade to mark the end of the ruling Workers' Party congress.
STRNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un donned matching jackets with his daughter at a military parade, state media photos showed Thursday, stoking speculation she is being groomed as heir.
Kim's teenage daughter Ju Ae featured prominently in state photos published to mark the closing stages of the ruling Workers' Party congress.
The duo donned matching leather jackets as they stood side-by-side to watch over a vast military procession.
Kim's wife, Ri Sol Ju, also appeared alongside the duo in a similar attire.
The Kim family has ruled North Korea with an iron grip for decades, and a cult of personality surrounding their "Paektu bloodline" dominates daily life in the isolated country.
Ju Ae has long been seen as the next in line, a perception stoked by a string of recent high-profile outings.
Analyst Lim Eul-chul said the jackets — a staple of leader Kim's wardrobe, especially during key public appearances — were more than a fashion statement.
"In North Korea's political symbolism, that look carries weight -- it's tied to the image of the leader as the ultimate guarantor of national security and future prosperity.
"So when that same symbolic attire is put on his young daughter, it's hard to see it as accidental."
Other photos from the parade showed Ju Ae striding a red carpet next to her father as he received salutes from North Korea's military top brass.
Ju Ae has been clearly "designated as a successor", South Korea's national intelligence service said earlier this month.
Korean affairs expert Leif-Eric Easley said Ju Ae's latest appearance demonstrated her elevated status.
"But she still appears in her capacity as the leader's daughter.
"She is probably not yet old enough to participate in the congress with an official party title."
Ju Ae was publicly introduced to the world in 2022 when she accompanied her father to an intercontinental ballistic missile launch.
Before then, the only confirmation of her existence had come from former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who visited the North in 2013.
Pyongyang has never confirmed Ju Ae's exact age, but analysts believe she is in her early teens.
Ju Ae has drawn attention for her taste in luxury fashion, appearing in Gucci sunglasses and wearing a Cartier watch.
At other times, she has mirrored her father's distinctive style, wearing matching leather jackets and dark glasses.
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Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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