Ri Il Kyu, the former political counselor at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, revealed yesterday that he believes Kim Jong Un’s daughter’s name is Ju Ye, not Ju Ae.
Ri, shortly after participating as a panelist in the 2024 International Korean Peninsula Forum—organized by the Ministry of Unification, Yonsei University’s Institute of Political Science and Diplomacy, and the East-West Problem Research Institute—spoke with reporters and stated, “I understand that Kim Jong Un’s daughter’s name is ‘Ju Ye,’ not ‘Ju Ae.'”
However, Ri did not specify how he obtained this information, and whether he confirmed it verbally or through official documents is unclear. Nonetheless, he also listed Ju Ye as the name of Kim Jong Un’s daughter in the forum materials provided that day.
Ri’s claims are particularly notable as a former diplomat who defected in November is considered part of North Korea’s elite.
The name Ju Ae has been widely reported since February 2013, when former NBA player Dennis Rodman, during a visit to North Korea, claimed to have learned it directly from Kim Jong Un.