# Kim's daughter may steal the show at next Trump summit > A meeting with Trump could be Kim Jong Un's chance to introduce his likely successor, Kim Ju Ae, to the world stage. - Title: Kim's daughter may steal the show at next Trump summit - Summary: A meeting with Trump could be Kim Jong Un's chance to introduce his likely successor, Kim Ju Ae, to the world stage. Kim Jong Un may use a Trump summit less… - Keywords: kim jong un, kim ju ae, donald trump, north korea, united states, summit, succession, nuclear weapons, pyongyang, denuclearization, kim family dynasty, trump-kim meeting - Source: Foreign Policy — https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/16/north-korea-united-states-trump-kim-meeting-heir-succession - Author: Donggak Heo - Read time: 3 min - Topics: kim jong un, kim ju ae, donald trump, north korea, united states, summit, succession, nuclear weapons, pyongyang, denuclearization, kim family dynasty, trump-kim meeting ## Who Kim brings matters most If Kim Jong Un meets Trump this year, his most consequential decision may be bringing his daughter Kim Ju Ae along. ## Meet Kim Ju Ae The 13-year-old has appeared at missile launches, military parades, and cultural events since her first public appearance in November 2022. ## Her first trip abroad In September 2025, Kim took Ju Ae to Beijing for China's military parade. She stayed at the embassy while Kim met Xi and Putin. ## Summit could happen anytime Trump said in August he expected to meet Kim this year. South Korean intelligence says a summit could happen at any time. ## Symbolism over substance Kim doesn't need a major agreement for the meeting to be useful. For Pyongyang, symbolism is essential to summit diplomacy. ## Three summits, no deals Trump and Kim met in Singapore in 2018, Hanoi in 2019, and at the inter-Korean border. None resolved the nuclear dispute. ## Images were invaluable The leader of a sanctioned, isolated state stood as an apparent equal beside the president of the United States. ## Denuclearization is off the table Pyongyang insists it won't give up nuclear weapons. In June, its foreign ministry called denuclearization an irreversibly finalized matter. ## Trump calls them nuclear While the U.S. officially supports complete denuclearization, Trump has repeatedly called North Korea a nuclear power. ## The gap creates opportunity If Trump meets Kim while Pyongyang refuses to discuss giving up weapons, the distinction between recognizing and negotiating with a nuclear state could blur. ## Managing, not eliminating The question becomes less about when North Korea surrenders weapons and more about what can be negotiated while it retains them. ## Personal diplomacy suits Pyongyang Trump emphasizes his personal relationship with Kim. Leader-to-leader diplomacy shifts attention away from verification and sanctions. ## Ju Ae's political debut If Kim brings his daughter to a summit, he could use it to make a claim about the perpetuity of his dynastic regime. ## A photograph is the point Ju Ae wouldn't need to sit at the negotiating table. She might appear at arrival, a reception, or briefly meet Trump before talks begin. > For Pyongyang, the photograph, Kim Jong Un beside his daughter as she is introduced to the president of the United States, may be the point ## Propaganda would tell a story North Korean media could frame a polite greeting as recognition of political importance from one of the world's most powerful leaders. ## Learning from his father's mistake Kim's own rise was rushed after Kim Jong Il's health deteriorated. Ju Ae's early exposure suggests a more gradual, public approach. ## Two projects become one By bringing Ju Ae, Kim would connect his two largest political projects: the nuclear state he's built and the preservation of Kim family rule. ## More than just negotiations The U.S. should judge a future summit by more than the agreement. Trump may see Ju Ae as Kim's child, but Kim hopes the world sees who comes next. ## Key takeaway Kim Jong Un may use a Trump summit less for nuclear negotiations and more to legitimize his daughter as North Korea's future leader.