North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has selected his daughter as his heir, South Korea's spy agency informed lawmakers on Thursday. Little is known about Kim Ju Ae, who has recently been seen alongside her father at several high-profile events, including her first trip abroad to Beijing in September.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) discussed various factors, including her rising presence in public roles, as evidence for this assessment. A significant event on the horizon is the North’s party congress later this month, where the NIS noted it would monitor her participation more closely.
During this congress, details on the regime's future priorities will likely be announced during the large party gathering scheduled every five years. Lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen remarked that Ju Ae’s public appearances, such as at military anniversaries and official engagements, hint at her growing role within state affairs, suggesting she is being groomed as a successor.
Kim Ju Ae, believed to be around 13 years old, is the only acknowledged child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. Interestingly, the NIS believes there is an older son who has never been publicly acknowledged. The information on Ju Ae reached public knowledge through Dennis Rodman, an American basketball player, who revealed in a 2013 interview that he had held her as a baby during a visit to North Korea.
Her first appearance on state television occurred in 2022, where she was depicted observing an intercontinental ballistic missile test while grasping her father’s hand.
Ju Ae has recently participated in multiple official broadcasts, softening Kim Jong Un's image. She has attended notable military inspections and state affairs, demonstrating a position somewhat different from traditional expectations in North Korea's deeply patriarchal society especially for a female heir. Analysts are intrigued and puzzled by the decision to designate a daughter as a successor amid existing assumptions about gender roles in leadership.
Lawmaker Park Sun-won pointed out that the roles Ju Ae has taken on suggest she is providing policy input and is treated as a second-in-command. There is a long-standing precedent of power transfer within the Kim family, making Ju Ae's potential for leadership a topic of speculation regarding future governance dynamics.
Moreover, this early designation raises many questions about Kim Jong Un's motivations, considering his relatively young age and good health, along with the implications of a 13-year-old potentially wielding considerable influence over the nation.
The expectations surrounding Ju Ae’s rule remain uncertain, especially given the lack of reform observed during Kim Jong Un's reign, despite some hopes he would open North Korea to the outside world post his father's leadership.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) discussed various factors, including her rising presence in public roles, as evidence for this assessment. A significant event on the horizon is the North’s party congress later this month, where the NIS noted it would monitor her participation more closely.
During this congress, details on the regime's future priorities will likely be announced during the large party gathering scheduled every five years. Lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen remarked that Ju Ae’s public appearances, such as at military anniversaries and official engagements, hint at her growing role within state affairs, suggesting she is being groomed as a successor.
Kim Ju Ae, believed to be around 13 years old, is the only acknowledged child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. Interestingly, the NIS believes there is an older son who has never been publicly acknowledged. The information on Ju Ae reached public knowledge through Dennis Rodman, an American basketball player, who revealed in a 2013 interview that he had held her as a baby during a visit to North Korea.
Her first appearance on state television occurred in 2022, where she was depicted observing an intercontinental ballistic missile test while grasping her father’s hand.
Ju Ae has recently participated in multiple official broadcasts, softening Kim Jong Un's image. She has attended notable military inspections and state affairs, demonstrating a position somewhat different from traditional expectations in North Korea's deeply patriarchal society especially for a female heir. Analysts are intrigued and puzzled by the decision to designate a daughter as a successor amid existing assumptions about gender roles in leadership.
Lawmaker Park Sun-won pointed out that the roles Ju Ae has taken on suggest she is providing policy input and is treated as a second-in-command. There is a long-standing precedent of power transfer within the Kim family, making Ju Ae's potential for leadership a topic of speculation regarding future governance dynamics.
Moreover, this early designation raises many questions about Kim Jong Un's motivations, considering his relatively young age and good health, along with the implications of a 13-year-old potentially wielding considerable influence over the nation.
The expectations surrounding Ju Ae’s rule remain uncertain, especially given the lack of reform observed during Kim Jong Un's reign, despite some hopes he would open North Korea to the outside world post his father's leadership.
