Kim Jong Un's Daughter May Be Part of 'Distraction' Plan

The official introduction of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un's daughter into the public spotlight may be timed purposely as the country continues its ballistic missile testing, according to one theory.

The theory was posited on Monday by Soo Kim, a contributor for the Lowy Institute, an Australian-based think tank with a focus on Asia-Pacific policies. The state-run media outlet Korean Central News Agency released pictures last month of the North Korean leader hand-in-hand with a younger female, later determined to be his daughter, Ju-ae.

In the past two months, North Korea has launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) described as simulated strikes against American and South Korean air bases, aircraft and major cities. The Pentagon later said the simulation was North Korea's response to Vigilant Storm, joint exercises conducted between the United States and South Korea to boost their own alliance.

"With the spotlight having long been fixed on the nuclear issue, Ju-ae's public debut seems as though it could be an impeccably timed distraction to keep the international community from focusing on seeking an enduring solution to Pyongyang's rapidly advancing weapons systems—for Pyongyang's ICBM test was overshadowed by the ten-year-old's public debut," Soo Kim wrote.

She added: "If anything, these public appearances create greater opacity around the Kim regime's succession plans, all while leaving the enduring challenge of North Korea's nuclear weapons largely unaddressed."

Ju-ae is believed to have first been publicly mentioned by NBA Hall of Famer (HOF) Dennis Rodman, who befriended the dictator during a basketball exhibition trip in February 2013. Rodman said following an additional trip in September of that year, he met not just Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, but also their infant daughter.

"I held their baby Ju-ae and spoke with Ri as well," Rodman told The Guardian after the fact. "He's a good dad and has a beautiful family."

Ju-ae made her first known public appearance on November 18, in the midst of another ICBM launch. Her age remains unknown, however, some have estimated her to be anywhere from 9 years old to early teens. Meanwhile, the couple is believed to have two other children, including a son born in 2010.

Soo Kim called the unveiling "intentional" due to the supreme leader's affinity for grandiose presentations. She also said that it's a sign to citizens that Ju-ae plays a role in the dictator's succession plans, notably considering the leader's now-public health scares.

Aside from being diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this year, he previously suffered from side effects due to rapid weight loss. Other assumptions were made regarding his health due to a head bandage he was seen wearing during a public appearance last year.

North Korea's continued testing and ignoring of concerns on behalf of countries like the U.S. have spurred South Korean citizens to want to build their own nuclear arsenal in self-defense. A poll from The Asian Institute for Policy Studies in June found that about 70 percent of South Koreans approved of such a strategy.

Vann Van Diepen, a Korea expert who spent over three decades inside the U.S. government prior to now working as a consultant for 38 North, told Newsweek on Monday that Soo Kim's contention strikes him "as fatuous and silly."

"The parts of the international community and U.S. government that worry about North Korean ICBMs don't care too much in the immediate term about who might be KJU's [Kim Jong Un's] successor 20 years from now," Van Diepen said. "The idea that showing off the kid somehow distracts from the NK ICBM threat just doesn't compute."

He added: "In fact, a lot of the security-expert commentary was just the opposite. According to them, showing the successor along with the ICBM was arguably intended to underscore the ICBM program, and underscore that North Korea won't bargain it away."

There was no argument in Soo Kim's piece about how the global community should react to North Korea's missile program, Van Diepen said, questioning if that involves a U.S. attack on North Korea or otherwise.

Jenny Town, senior fellow at the Stimson Center and director of 38 North, agreed with Van Diepen's assessment. She also said it remains to be seen whether the appearance of Ju-ae was a one-off occasion or part of the portrayal of a North Korean political narrative.

"I think there were political underpinnings to the daughter's appearance, but I doubt that it was to distract from the ICBM's success," Town told Newsweek. "If anything, it underscores how confident they were that the test would be successful, despite failed launches earlier in the year, and...seems to reiterate a long-term plan for the program."

Update 12/13/22, 12:05 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Jenny Town.