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South Korea's spy agency has said it considers the young daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to be his potential heir. For the first time, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it sees Kim Ju Ae, who is said to be around 10 years old, as a possible successor to her father.
The NIS referred to the analysis of its public activities and the state protocols provided to it as a basis for its assessment. There has been intense speculation about Ju Ae's future role since she was introduced to the outside world just over a year ago.
Who is Kim Ju Ae?
North Korean state media calls him Kim Jong Un's "most beloved" or "most respected" child. She has published a series of photos and images of herself accompanying her father to public events, showing her growing political position. South Korean media have previously speculated that she is the second of the leader's three children and that the first child is a boy. However, analysts have questioned the reliability of the reports. North Korea, which is one of the most secretive countries in the world, has not confirmed whether Ju Ae has any siblings. She is thought to be the child that American basketball star Dennis Rodman named Kim's young daughter after his trip to the capital Pyongyang in 2013.
Surprise discovery
Ju Ae made her first public appearance in November 2022, when she watched a long-range missile test with her father. It was a big surprise to foreign experts as neither Kim Jong Un nor his father Kim Jong Il were mentioned in North Korean state media before they were adults. After her sixth public appearance last year, a North Korea analyst told Sky News that a "theory" is emerging that she will be the successor.
Jean H Lee, who set up the Associated Press's first bureau in North Korea, said the events she has followed tend to involve "guns and missiles." She said the most striking images of Ju Ae are when she attended a military banquet to mark the 75th anniversary of the country's military last February.
“When you look at these photos, she's front and center. She is there. It's like this picture of father, mother, daughter. And I think what people noticed, of course, first of all was, 'oh my god, he's introducing his daughter! What does that mean?'' she told the Sky News Daily podcast.
How likely is she to succeed her father?
According to an analyst at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea, Kim likely believes his daughter has the capacity and determination to succeed him as leader. Cheong Seong-Chang said the North Korean leader's obesity appears so serious that "it will not be surprising even if he collapses tomorrow." "By accompanying her father to big events, it's like she's learning the kingdom and building a human network at a young age," he said. However, South Korea's intelligence service has a spotty record when it comes to confirming developments there. There has been no official comment from North Korean state media on the succession plan.
In the past, the NIS and other South Korean government officials have warned that it was too early to see Ju Ae as her father's heir, given Kim's relatively young age, he turns 40 on Monday. She has also cited North Korea's male-dominated power structure. Since its founding in 1948, North Korea has been ruled by successive male members of the Kim family.
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