SEOUL (ANN/KOREA HERALD) – South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), has identified Ju-ae, the only publicly known child of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as the “most likely successor,” according to their latest analysis.
As reported by The Korea Herald, the NIS believes Ju-ae, born in 2013, is well-positioned to succeed her father based on her public appearances and the positive reception she has garnered. The NIS notes another child of Kim, whose details remain undisclosed.
In a departure from its earlier stance, the NIS now sees Ju-ae as a probable successor, citing her public activities and the level of respect she has received. The report emphasises that Kim, being relatively young and in good health, prompts the intelligence agency to consider various possibilities.
The findings were submitted to Rep. Youn Kun-young’s office on Tuesday, marking a shift in the NIS’s assessment compared to its previous position in September of last year, where it did not see Ju-ae as the heir presumptive, citing patriarchal traditions in the regime.
Professor Park Won-gon of Ewha Womans University notes this change in assessment, highlighting the significance of both the Unification Ministry and the NIS taking Ju-ae more seriously as a potential successor. However, Yang-uk, a senior researcher at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies, suggests that presenting Ju-ae as a successor could signal anxiety on Kim’s part and deems it premature to conclusively declare her as Pyongyang’s next leader.
The NIS officially confirmed Kim Jong-un as the heir apparent in June 2009, succeeding his father, Kim Jong-il, two years later when his father passed away in late 2011 due to a heart attack.
