Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, made her international debut in Beijing on Tuesday, in what observers see as the clearest acknowledgement of her as the likely fourth-generation hereditary successor.

Ju-ae stood directly behind her father as he was greeted by senior Chinese officials upon arriving at Beijing Railway Station — a carefully choreographed display widely seen as a deliberate signal to the international community of her emerging role.

When North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency released photos late Tuesday afternoon of the leader’s arrival in Beijing after a roughly one-day railway trip aboard his heavily armored train, it was not Kim himself but Ju-ae who stole the spotlight.

The photos showed the North Korean leader accompanied by his daughter, thought to be around 12 or 13 years old, at Beijing Railway Station, with the KCNA report noting his arrival there at 4 p.m.

The report, however, made no mention of Ju-ae accompanying her father.

Kim’s trip to attend China’s celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II is also his first appearance at a multilateral diplomatic event since coming into power in 2011.

Ju-ae was seen standing next to her father as he was welcomed in front of Kim’s flagship armored train by Cai Qi, President Xi Jinping’s chief of staff, along with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

This marks the first time Ju-ae has accompanied her father on an overseas trip since she made her debut in state media in November 2022.

Observers in Seoul noted the significance of her presence at the multilateral diplomatic event, where Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with other leaders, are set to gather.

Ju-ae’s presence is, “in effect, regarded as her debut as a successor,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies.

“In North Korea, power succession has traditionally been consolidated not only through internal stabilization but also through external recognition from its key allies, China and Russia,” Lim said.

“In this context, Kim Ju-ae’s attendance at China’s Victory Day celebrations alongside her father is seen as a calculated strategy for a successor debut, or for securing such recognition.”

Ju-ae previously joined her father in diplomatic activities this year, including visiting the Russian Embassy in North Korea on May 8 for Russia’s Victory Day, and watching a concert with Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova in June.

Cheong Seong-chang, vice president of the Sejong Institute, echoed Lim's view, noting the symbolic weight of Ju-ae’s presence in state media, saying it"shows that Kim Ju-ae continues to receive treatment equivalent to that of North Korea’s 'number two' even when abroad."

"Therefore, Kim Jong-un’s decision to bring Kim Ju-ae with him to China on this occasion can be interpreted as a strong signal to the international community that she will be his successor, as well as an effort to provide her with a full-fledged diplomatic education."

Cheong further explained that Kim Jong-un’s push for Ju-ae’s early diplomatic training appears to stem from his own experience. Despite being appointed early as the third hereditary successor, Kim did not receive sufficient training as the heir to his late father, Kim Jong-il.

Because of this, Kim had few diplomatic encounters until he held summits with China, South Korea and the United States in 2018.

"In order not to pass down this unfortunate experience to Kim Ju-ae, Kim Jong-un brought her with him to China this time with a firm determination to introduce her early to the diplomatic stage and provide her with diplomatic training," Cheong said.

Ju-ae is not the first child of a North Korean leader to attend such events.

Kim Jong-un’s grandfather, the late Kim Il-sung, brought his son, Kim Jong-il, to major diplomatic events.

In 1957, a 15-year-old Kim Jong-il went with his father to Moscow for the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution. He also joined him at the 21st Congress of the Soviet Communist Party in 1959 and at the 10th anniversary of the Bandung Conference in Indonesia in 1965.

Kim Jong-il later visited China in 1983. There, he met then-Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and gained Beijing’s recognition as North Korea’s heir apparent.