The young daughter of Kim Jong-un is being trained to succeed him, South Korean intelligence sources have alleged, increasing speculation over the reclusive leader’s health,
The Telegraph reports.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) briefed a parliamentary committee in Seoul on Monday that they had based their analysis on the frequency and nature of her public appearances as well as the North Korean state propaganda surrounding her position in the Kim dynasty.
Kim Ju-ae, who is believed to be about 11 years old, was first revealed by her father in November 2022 at the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile and has since been seen mingling with top generals at major military events.
She has been referred to as the “respected daughter” and “beloved child” by the state’s strictly controlled media, and as a “great person of guidance” in March, a term typically reserved for top leaders and their successors.
The NIS concluded that a “significant successor structure” was forming based on their observation that “more than 60 per cent of Kim Ju-ae’s activities included accompanying her father in military activities”, Lee Seong-kwon, a politician who attended the briefing, told the local media.
“Pyongyang is teaching Kim Ju-ae to be heir apparent, indicating she’s the most likely successor,” Mr Lee told reporters after the agency briefing.
But the spy agency added a caveat that it had not ruled out the possibility that a brother could step forward to claim the Kim throne.
