Footage showing North's defense minister tapping Kim Jong-un's daughter draws scrutiny
SHIN HYE-YEON

Defense Minister No Kwang-chol taps Kim Ju-ae on the back in a footage shared by North Korea state media. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Footage aired by North Korean state media has drawn attention after it showed Defense Minister No Kwang-chol briefly touching the back of Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, during a site visit earlier this month.

Daily NK Japan, a North Korea–focused outlet, revisited the footage in an article published Sunday, describing the gesture as potentially “disrespectful” given the country’s rigid protocols surrounding the ruling family.


"Physical contact with a member of the ruling family by a nonrelative remains extremely rare in North Korea," Koh Young-ki, editor-in-chief of Daily NK Japan, wrote. "It could be regarded as disrespectful."

The footage came from a site visit on Jan. 5, when Kim Jong-un inspected the construction site of the overseas military operations martyrs’ memorial, a monument honoring North Korean troops deployed to Russia.

During the visit, Kim Ju-ae participated in a tree-planting event alongside her father while holding a shovel. Kim Jong-un’s wife Ri Sol-ju, his sister Kim Yo-jong and Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui also joined the event.

Video footage showed Kim Jong-un working with a shovel while Kim Ju-ae stood behind him. At that moment, Defense Minister No approached Kim Ju-ae, lightly tapped her on the back twice and gestured for her to step forward.

Ri, who observed the scene from behind, then moved closer to Kim Ju-ae. In a subsequent shot, Kim Ju-ae moved near Kim Jong-un and joined the tree-planting.

"Kim Jong-un repeatedly reviews footage from official events and strictly monitors the attitudes and conduct of senior officials afterward," Koh said. “There have been numerous cases in the past in which officials were reportedly executed for inappropriate behavior, including falling asleep during meetings.

“Defectors with senior-level experience and intelligence officials believe the footage could affect No Kwang-chol’s standing if internal censors flag it as problematic ahead of a party congress."

Kim Ju-ae also drew attention earlier this month during a New Year’s Day event, where she appeared alongside Kim Jong-un and her mother. During the event, she stood up and kissed Kim Jong-un on the cheek, a gesture that has fueled analysis that she could emerge as a leading successor candidate.