Likely successful her early teens and base a adjacent resemblance to her mother, nan girl of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is progressively viewed arsenic his apt heir.
The girl, believed to beryllium named Kim Ju Ae, was successful nan spotlight again arsenic she accompanied her begetter connected his high-profile China trip, his ain first sojourn to a awesome gathering of world leaders and her first known travel abroad.
Video and images carried by North Korean authorities media showed her correct down her begetter and up of Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui arsenic they sewage disconnected a train successful Beijing, clapping arsenic officials astatine nan North Korean Embassy successful Beijing bowed to her father, and opinionated adjacent him arsenic he was seated pinch elder officials successful a gathering room wrong his train.
South Korea’s spy agency said connected September 11 that it assesses that nan travel solidified her position arsenic her father’s apt heir.
She is believed to beryllium 12 aliases 13 years old. Not overmuch other is known astir her, but her repeated appearances astatine high-profile events pinch her begetter person prompted speculation that she’s being groomed arsenic North Korea’s adjacent leader.
China travel analysed intensively
In a closed-door briefing for politicians, nan South Korean National Intelligence Service said Kim Jong Un was believed to person brought his girl to China to thief her get overseas acquisition and cement her position arsenic his apt heir, according to Park Sunwon, who attended nan meeting.
The spy agency cited sum of her appearances successful China successful nan country's main authorities TV position and newspaper, which target nan mean citizens, according to lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who was besides coming astatine nan meeting.
Her sanction and property are unconfirmed
North Korean authorities media outlets person ne'er published her name, referring to her arsenic Kim Jong Un's “respected” aliases “most beloved” child.
The belief that she is named Ju Ae is based connected an relationship by erstwhile NBA champion Dennis Rodman, successful which he recalled holding Kim Jong Un’s babe girl during a travel to Pyongyang successful 2013.
Her nonstop property is unconfirmed but South Korean intelligence officials judge she was calved successful 2013.
In 2023, South Korea's spy agency told politicians it assessed Kim Jong Un and his woman Ri Sol Ju besides person an older boy and a younger 3rd kid whose gender is unknown.
She’s being progressively showcased successful her father’s events
Kim Jong Un allowed his girl to beryllium seen successful nationalist for nan first clip during a trial motorboat of an intercontinental ballistic rocket successful November 2022.
Photos successful authorities media showed Kim Ju Ae wearing a achromatic overgarment and reddish shoes arsenic she watched a soaring rocket from a region and walked hand-in-hand pinch her father.
Her cautiously crafted appearances person included rocket tests, subject parades, and nan motorboat of a naval destroyer successful April.
Kim Jong Un has precocious expanded his daughter’s nationalist appearances beyond subject events to see immoderate of his astir eager economical projects and taste events, including nan opening of a formation edifice successful June.
Some mobility her chances to return complete a male-dominated system
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service issued a observant appraisal past twelvemonth that it views Kim Ju Ae arsenic her father’s apt successor, citing a broad study of her nationalist activities and nan authorities protocols provided to her.
However, immoderate extracurricular experts disagree pinch that assessment, citing Kim Jong Un’s comparatively young property and nan highly male-dominated quality of North Korea’s powerfulness hierarchy.
In its caller briefing astatine parliament, nan National Intelligence Service assessed that Kim has nary awesome wellness issues and that he conducted charismatic schedules successful China smoothly.
Since its instauration successful 1948, North Korea has been successively ruled by antheral members of nan Kim family — Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, and grandfather, Kim Il Sung.
Kim Jong Un inherited powerfulness successful precocious 2011 upon his father's death.
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