North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s top candidate for his successor is reportedly his 10-year-old daughter, South Korea’s intelligence agency said on Thursday.
Kim Ju-ae is likely to succeed the North Korean leader when steps away from power, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said on Thursday, Yonhap News Agency reported. Details about Ju-ae’s existence have been shrouded in mystery — she was reportedly born in 2013 – but her recent appearances with Kim and her references in North Korean media have given the NIS reason to believe she will eventually take Kim’s place in power. (RELATED: Kim Jong Un Vows To Back Russia’s ‘Sacred Fight’ Against Ukraine During Rare Meeting With Putin)
“Based on analyses on her public activities and the level of the North’s respect toward her since her public appearance, Kim Ju-ae appears to be the most likely successor,” Cho Tae-yong, the nominee for head of the NIS, said, according to Yonhap.
NEW: North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un starts crying as he begs North Koreans to have more babies.
North Korean birth rates are about to skyrocket 📈
The incident happened at the National Mothers Meeting hosted by the dictator who started dabbing his eyes in an effort to get… pic.twitter.com/F8xg0dZ05J
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 5, 2023
Ju-ae was first publicly seen roughly a year ago alongside Kim at a viewing of a long-range missile launch test, according to Yonhap. She has since appeared at a number of public events, mostly military-related, and she most recently was seen with Kim at North Korea’s New Year’s Eve celebration in Pyongyang on Sunday.
North Korean state media had started referring to Ju-ae as Kim’s “respected” child, according to Yonhap.
“By accompanying her father on major events, she’s like learning kingship and building a human network at a tender age,” Cheong Seong-Chan, an intelligence analyst for the Sejong Institute, told The Associated Press.
The NIS had previously refrained from speculating as to who will take Kim’s place when he steps down, according to The New York Times.
It is unclear when Kim would step away from power. He is still relatively young, but Cheong told the AP his obesity problem has become so sizeable that it wouldn’t “be surprising even if he collapses tomorrow.”
South Korea’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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