North Korean students, particularly those from privileged backgrounds, are increasingly imitating the style of Kim Ju Ae, daughter of leader Kim Jong Un. Parents worry their children might face consequences for such imitation.
A source in North Hamgyong province told Daily NK recently that students at the Musan Students and Children’s Palace have been adopting hairstyles and clothing similar to Kim Ju Ae’s, often boasting, “I’m dressed like the leader’s daughter.”
The students admire Kim Ju Ae’s appearance in state media and compete to see who can most closely replicate her outfits, shoes and hairstyle, according to the source.
“There’s been a noticeable increase in children at the palace demanding leather jackets or bell-bottom pants similar to what the leader’s daughter wears,” the source said. “While parents can afford such items, they worry about potential political repercussions.”
Imitating the supreme leader or his family members can be politically problematic in North Korea, causing parents to privately worry about their children’s fashion choices.
The source noted that students at these children’s palaces can imitate Kim Ju Ae primarily because they are children of officials or wealthy entrepreneurs who enjoy special privileges.
“The children’s palace is for learning talents, and children from families without money simply cannot attend,” the source said. “Most are children of party or judicial officials or wealthy entrepreneurs. Their imitation of the leader’s daughter seems intended to showcase their own special status.”
Children’s palaces in North Korea offer extracurricular activities including music, dance, sports, art and science. Attendance typically requires parental connections or wealth, and oversight is reportedly less strict than in regular schools.
While ordinary students imitating Kim Ju Ae would likely face immediate discipline from the authorities, children at these palaces often avoid consequences due to their families’ status.
“Disciplining children’s palace members is essentially meaningless,” the source said. “They don’t even enforce dress codes during extracurricular activities, only showing restraint during special crackdown periods like the April 15 holiday commemorating Kim Il Sung’s birthday.”
The source added that while regular students would face immediate consequences for imitating Kim’s daughter, these privileged children enjoy freedoms in both fashion choices and exemption from discipline.
