North Korea also staged a grand celebration on August 15 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Fatherland. In contrast to the previous appearance of Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, at military-related events alongside her father, she was notably absent from this event.
The Workers’ Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on August 15 that on the previous day, a commemoration ceremony for the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Fatherland was held in Pyongyang.
Attendees of the ceremony included Central Committee members such as Kim, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party, as well as senior central figures, key party officials, the offspring of anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters, patriotic socialist merit awardees, young students, Korean People’s Army soldiers, and staff and students from revolutionary academies.
Also invited were members of the Russian national delegation—comprising dignitaries from the Russian state council and the Cultural Ministry—including a close associate of President Vladimir Putin, Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma, who visited North Korea the previous day, along with Aleksandr Matsegora, Russia’s resident ambassador to North Korea, and embassy staff.
However, Kim’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, did not make an appearance in the official program that day. Having made her first public appearance in 2022, Kim Ju-ae initially appeared mainly at military events alongside her father, but more recently she has frequently been seen at diplomatic and political gatherings aimed at uniting the people, leading to ongoing speculation that she is undergoing successor training.
Analysts have even noted that in public appearances, where she is received with formality and maturity, Kim Ju-ae appears to be taking on the role of First Lady traditionally held by Ri Sol-ju.
The most recent indication of her rising political stature was her appearance at the inauguration of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourism Zone on June 26. Although she appeared alongside Kim and Ri, her standing close to Kim rather than her mother, Ri, was seen as a significant boost to her political position.
This has led some to remark that her absence from the grand commemoration of the Liberation of the Fatherland event is, in fact, unusual.
While the exact reason remains unclear, some analysts have suggested that the event’s heavy emphasis on highlighting North Korea-Russia ties may have been designed to divert attention away from Kim Ju-ae, or that, given the event commemorates the history of the anti-Japanese armed struggle, she—symbolizing the future generation—may have been intentionally excluded.
