North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is preparing his daughter to succeed him, though the selection is not final, according to South Korean lawmakers briefed by their main spy agency.
Kim Ju Ae, whose age has not been publicly confirmed, has been seen with her father at various events, triggering speculation she has been chosen as the fourth generation of the Kim family to lead the nation. She is believed to be between 10 and 12 years old.
North Korea has put forward Ju Ae as a strong candidate to succeed her father by adjusting the frequency of her public appearances to gauge public sentiment, said Lee Seong-kweun of South Korea’s ruling People Power Party and Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party, citing the National Intelligence Service, or NIS.
“Pyongyang is teaching Kim Ju Ae to be heir apparent, indicating she’s the most likely successor,” Lee told reporters on Monday.
More than half of her public appearances with her father were related to military activity, such as overseeing exercises, the NIS added.
Ju Ae was referred to as a “great person of guidance,” or “hyangdo” in Korean, by the North’s state media in March, a term typically reserved for top leaders and their successors.
“Considering the word ‘hyangdo’ was used, which is only reserved for a leader or successor, the NIS is assessing the succession plan is in shape to some extent,” the Democratic Party’s Park told reporters.
However, the spy agency has not ruled out the possibility that another sibling could emerge as an potential alternative in the succession plan, Park added, given North Korea had not made an official succession announcement.
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First introduced to the world in 2022, Ju Ae was once thought to be her father’s second child.
It is believed Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju have three children – two daughters and a son – although their existence has never been officially confirmed by the North.
Meanwhile, the NIS was quoted as saying that Kim appears to have health issues, weighing 140 kg and at high risk of heart disease, likely due to stress, smoking and drinking.
Kim is believed to have shown symptoms of high blood pressure and diabetes since his early 30s, according to the spy agency.
The NIS also said there are signs that Kim is looking for alternative medicinal substances, leading to speculation he could have conditions that are difficult to deal with using his current medicine.
Kim’s grandfather, Kim Il Sung, emerged from the throes of World War II to become the state founder and his father, Kim Jong Il, ruled until his death in 2011.
Edited by Mike Firn.
