The parade, which marks 80 years since the end of World War II, is Kim Jong’s first multilateral diplomatic event.
Therefore, the decision to bring his teenage daughter with him to such an important diplomatic event should be taken seriously by the rest of the world, said Cheong Seong-Chang, vice president of the Sejong Institute, a group of Seoul experts.
The North Korean leader was sending “a strong signal to the international community that Kim Ju AE will become his successor,” said Cheong. He also saw the trip as a rare opportunity for the young Kim to perfect his diplomatic skills, noting that he stopped directly behind his father when he was received by Chinese officials.
It is understood that the highest Kim was designated as a successor at the age of 8 by his father Kim Jong II, but did not receive such opportunities, said Cheong. There is no evidence that Kim Jong accompanied his father on trips abroad.
He “may have decided to present it early in the diplomatic stage,” Cheong added, not to “transmit such an unfortunate experience to Kim Ju Ae.”
Other analysts agreed that the trip to China could offer an invaluable experience in the protocol associated with life in the global stage.
Taking his daughter “suggests that Kim Jong one intended to expose Kim Ju AE to the international stage to cultivate his diplomatic senses,” said Lim Eul-Chul, a professor of North Korea studies at the University of Kyungnam in South Korea.
The North Korean leader may also have been looking for the approval of his closest allies, since the succession of the Kim family has traditionally been carried out not only through “internal stability but also through external recognition,” Lim said.
And there are potential challenges for the regime, which has been pressing to expand its nuclear arsenal against international sanctions that have paralyzed their economy.
As you approach Putin and supply troops to fight Ukraine, Kim has bothered her traditional Chinese sponsor. Kim Jong a may have taken her daughter to help repair that crucial relationship.
“With Kim Ju Ae by his side, Kim Jong Un can be using his presence as a strategy to suggest a ‘family intimacy’ to relieve China’s dissatisfaction,” Lim said.
Since its foundation in 1948, North Korea has never had a female leader and, therefore, the questions persist about whether Kim Ju Ae will finally rise to the top of the dynasty dominated by men.
His presence in China was thus “a completely calculated movement,” Lim said. “This should be evaluated not as a simple family visit, but in fact as a” successor debut. “
