The daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been increasingly appearing in headlines and making rare public appearances in recent weeks — again fueling speculation that she is being groomed to be her father's official successor.
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During a February 12 closed briefing with South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), South Korean lawmakers heard that the daughter is at the stage of “appointment as a successor” said Rep. Lee Seong Kweun, according to reports by the Associated Press.
“In the past, the NIS described Kim Ju Ae as being in the process of 'successor training'. Today, however, the term 'successor designation stage' was used, which is quite a significant change,” the politician notes.
Kim Jong Un's daughter, who is believed to be around 13 years old, has made several public appearances in recent years, which is rare for this mysterious family. It was first seen in November 2022 in photos published by state media.
The unexpected public appearance raised questions about whether the North Korean leader was signaling who would be the next heir to the Kim dynasty. However, experts have previously emphasized that it is too early to draw such conclusions – especially since this position traditionally falls to a male descendant.
Still little is known about the daughter herself. Kim Jong Un's private life, including the names of his children, is usually treated as a state secret.
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What is the name of Kim Jong Un's daughter? Kim Jong Un with his daughter
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STR/AFP/East News / East News
Her real name was never officially revealed by authorities or state media.
The first person to confirm the existence of Kim Jong Un's daughter was NBA basketball player Dennis Rodman, who established a relationship with the North Korean leader during a visit to Pyongyang in 2013.
In an interview with The Guardian, he revealed that Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju have a child.
“I held their baby, Ju Ae, and talked to Mrs. Ri. He's a good father and has a beautiful family. Kim told me, 'I'll see you in December,'” Rodman said.
According to a recent report by Radio Free Asia local authorities in the cities of Jeongju and Yongsong ordered women named Ju Ae to change their names on documents — which may confirm the daughter's identity.
How old is he? Kim Jong-Un with his daughter
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STR/AFP/East News / East News
South Korea's National Intelligence Service believes that Ju Ae was born around January 2013, making her approximately 13 years old.
He is believed to be the second child of Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol Ju.
The couple's first child may have been born in the summer of 2010, and their third around early 2017. The gender of these children has not been confirmed.
South Korean lawmakers claimed they had received information suggesting the first child may be a boy.
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What did North Korean officials and state media say?
When the state news agency KCNA published photos of Ju Ae at the missile test site, it reported that Kim Jong Un was there “with his beloved daughter and wife.”
During a banquet celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army, the Rodong Sinmun daily wrote that Kim Jong Un arrived at the ceremony with his “respected daughter” – a title also used for the leader himself in the same article.
Former CIA officer Andrew Kim recalled that in April 2018, Kim Jong Un made a rare reference to his private life in a conversation with then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo:
“I am a father and a husband. I have children. And I don't want my children to carry nuclear weapons on their backs for the rest of their lives” – he was supposed to say.
When was your daughter first seen in public? The TV screen shows a report by the North Korean news agency KCNA, the photo was taken in Seoul in November 2022.
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Kim Jae-Hwan / Zuma Press / Forum / Forum Polish Photographers Agency
Kim Ju Ae was first seen publicly in November 2022 in photos published by state media.
The photos showed a father and daughter visiting an intercontinental ballistic missile test site. A few months later, she appeared in a central place during official celebrations, including a banquet celebrating the anniversary of the establishment of the North Korean army.
The public display of their daughter is a significant departure from previous practice, as the Kim family's private life usually remains top secret.
A verified photo of Kim Jong Un himself was only released when he was approximately 26 years old, in 2010 – a year before the death of his father, Kim Jong Il.
Can Kim Ju Ae replace her father?
Experts speculate whether Ju Ae's repeated public appearances are a signal that she has been appointed as a successor.
Cheong Seong Chang, a senior analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, previously told CNN that his daughter's presence during missile tests and referring to her as his “beloved” could be another signal that Kim Jong Un has chosen his successor.
“Given this, there is no longer any doubt that Kim Ju Ae has been designated as Kim Jong Un's successor. “It is important to watch how this will impact North Korea's domestic and foreign policy in the medium and long term and how North Koreans will embrace the fourth-generation succession,” he said.
But Duyon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions.
“At this stage we can only speculate. [Kim Dzong Un — red.] clearly deliberately exposes her and at least tries to emphasize the importance, status and legitimacy of a direct descendant of the Kim family. However, it is too early to assume that she will be his successor, because in North Korea the throne has always been held by a son.”
Who else could replace Kim Jong Un?
There were also speculations that the potential candidate could be Kim Jong Un's younger sister – Kim Yo Jong.
Currently, Kim Yo Jong is the only woman to serve on the State Affairs Commission, North Korea's decision-making body.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service said in 2020 that the leader's sister could be “the de facto second person in the country.”
David Straub, a former senior diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, told The Daily Beast that Kim Jong Un's public display of his daughter could be a worrying signal to his sister if he is indeed considering handing power to Ju Ae.
“Kim had both his uncle and half-brother killed” Straub said, referring to Kim Jong Nam, who was assassinated in Malaysia in 2017 using a chemical warfare agent. Kim Jong Nam was widely considered a potential successor to Kim Jong Il.
“I bet everyone in the Kim clan remembered that — maybe especially Yo Jong,” Straub added.
The above text is a translation from American edition of Business Insider
