JamzNG Latest News, Gist, Entertainment in Nigeria
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter could be considered his successor, Seoul’s spy agency said.
The child, believed to be Kim Ju Ae and aged around 13, has accompanied his father to several important events since late 2022.
And the pair rode in a tank together last month, fueling further speculation that he was being positioned as the secretive country’s future leader.
On Monday, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) director Lee Jong-seok said in a closed-door briefing at the National Assembly that the girl could be considered. Mr Kimhis successor, according to Lee Seong Kweun, one of the politicians present.
The NIS reportedly said its assessment was based on “credible intelligence” gathered by the agency.
Asked about potential protests from Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, who has long been seen as irresponsible North KoreaAs the number two figure, the NIS director responded that he had no substantial powers, Mr Lee said in a briefing.
It is the agency’s strongest assessment yet of the teenager’s rising political status, which he believes could extend his family’s power into the fourth generation.
Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong. photo: AP
As early as 2024, the NIS described the child as Kim’s possible heir, and in February this year, the agency said it was confident that the child would soon be named the nation’s future leader.
Some observers disagree with that assessment, arguing that North Korea’s highly male-centric society is unlikely to accept a female leader.
Kim Jong Un and Kim Ju Ae observe a missile test launch. Photo: KCNA/Reuters
Read more from Sky News:
Kim Ju Ae is increasingly seen with her father
Savannah Guthrie is returning to the Today show
They also say Kim, 42, is too young to choose a future leader, a development that could weaken his hold on the country.
In a public appearance in March, the pair fired a gun during a visit to a light ammunition factory.
Kim Jong Un and his daughter are pictured in a tank at a military training base. photo: AP
The NIS, in Monday’s briefing, said North Korean authorities appeared to have arranged such events to build its military credibility and “reduce skepticism toward female successors,” Lee said.
The girl’s reported name is based on former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who recalled holding Kim’s baby daughter during a visit to Pyongyang in 2013.
Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae. Photo: Reuters
North Korea, founded in 1948, has been successively ruled by male members of the Kim family.
Kim Jong Un inherited power after the death of his father Kim Jong Il in late 2011. Kim Jong Il took power after his father and state founder Kim Il Sung died in 1994.
