Matching Leather Jackets: Is Kim Jong Un's Daughter Being Groomed for Power?

When a teenage girl wears the same leather jacket as her dictator father while watching a military parade, is it just matching outfits—or a carefully orchestrated lesson in power?

State media photos from North Korea's latest Workers' Party congress show Kim Jong Un and his daughter Ju Ae in identical leather jackets, standing side-by-side as they observed a vast military procession. Kim's wife, Ri Sol Ju, also appeared in similar attire, creating a unified family image that speaks volumes in North Korea's highly symbolic political theater.

More Than Fashion

The matching jackets aren't coincidental. Analyst Lim Eul-chul explains: "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."

Leather jackets have become Kim Jong Un's signature look, particularly during key public appearances. They project strength, authority, and a certain rebellious charisma that distinguishes him from his more formally dressed predecessors. When Ju Ae mirrors this style, she's not just copying dad's fashion sense—she's adopting his political persona.

Other photos from the event show Ju Ae walking a red carpet beside her father as he received salutes from North Korea's military brass. The imagery is unmistakable: this is someone being positioned for power.

The Teenage Successor

South Korea's national intelligence service recently declared that Ju Ae has been "designated as a successor." But her current status remains complex. Korean affairs expert Leif-Eric Easley notes: "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 first appeared publicly in 2022 at an intercontinental ballistic missile launch. Since then, she's become increasingly visible, often sporting luxury items like Gucci sunglasses and a Cartier watch—a stark contrast to the economic hardships faced by ordinary North Koreans.

This raises uncomfortable questions about optics and legitimacy. How does a regime that preaches self-reliance and sacrifice justify a teenager flaunting Western luxury brands? Yet in North Korea's political logic, such displays might actually reinforce the ruling family's special status.

The Bloodline Imperative

North Korea has built its entire political system around the concept of the "Paektu bloodline"—the idea that only Kim family descendants can legitimately rule. This mythology has sustained three generations of Kim rule, from grandfather Kim Il Sung to father Kim Jong Un.

But Ju Ae represents uncharted territory. North Korea has never had a female supreme leader, and Confucian cultural traditions still heavily influence the country's patriarchal power structures. Would the military, party elites, and general population accept a young woman as their leader?

The international implications are equally significant. If something happened to Kim Jong Un tomorrow, the world might face a scenario where a teenager controls nuclear weapons and one of the world's largest armies. This isn't just a succession question—it's a global security concern.

The Grooming Process

Historically, North Korean succession has been a gradual process. Kim Jong Un himself underwent years of preparation before taking power, though his transition was accelerated by his father's sudden death in 2011. Ju Ae's public appearances suggest a similar grooming process, but compressed into a much shorter timeframe.

Yet questions remain. Does she have siblings who might compete for succession? How much actual political education is she receiving behind closed doors? And perhaps most importantly: in a system where everything is choreographed, how much choice does she actually have in her own future?