The North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has begun training his pre-teen daughter to succeed him despite her age, South Korea’s spy agency claimed this week.
That revelation has sparked further questions about the authoritarian leader’s health, as recent reports from South Korean intelligence said the 40-year-old is suffering from obesity-related high blood pressure and diabetes.
Should something happen to Kim, it appears Kim Ju-ae may be next in line to lead the Hermit Kingdom. The preteen isn’t Kim’s only child, but she’s been dubbed the “respected daughter” and “beloved child” by state media.
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The Kim family has ruled over North Korea since its founding in the late 1940s, but has never has a woman—or minor—been at the helm.
Ju-ae, who is either 11 or 12, has begun appearing beside her dad frequently at public events this year, often smiling as she’s seated next to or standing by him.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju-ae visited a greenhouse in March—one of many recent events that featured the girl.
KCNA via ReutersSouth Korea’s National Intelligence Service held a briefing in Seoul on Monday where they made the revelation about Ju-ae’s potential to be the next leader of North Korea. They said they made their estimation based off an analysis on the frequency and nature of her public appearances and the way state propaganda has covered them.
Much of North Korea first learned about Ju-ae in November 2022, when she turned up to a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Since then, she’s been spotted mingling with top generals at military events.
Lee Seong-kwon, a South Korean politician who attended the briefing, said Monday that “more than 60 percent of Kim Ju-ae’s activities included accompanying her father” to military demonstrations and events.
“Pyongyang is teaching Kim Ju-ae to be heir apparent, indicating she’s the most likely successor,” Lee told reporters after the briefing.
Kim Ju-ae attend a military demonstration with her dad this spring.
KCNA via ReutersKim reportedly has two other kids, with Ju-ae being the middle child. He has kept much of his personal life under wraps, however, and the definitive names and ages of his children have not been confirmed.
Even with Ju-ae’s public appearances, North Korea’s succession remains murky. Many have reported that, should Kim die or bow out of the position, that one of his brothers could step forward to claim the throne.
