South Korean intelligence believes that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is determined to make his daughter Kim Ju Ae his successor and is taking certain steps to strengthen her position near the top of power. This was reported by intelligence representatives to South Korean lawmakers on Thursday.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea mentioned two years ago that Kim Jong Un seems to be raising his daughter as a successor, but now, as lawmakers told reporters, he has moved from the stage of nurturing an heir to the stage of appointing her as such.
"Since Kim Ju Ae has attended various events […] and there are signs that she has expressed opinions on certain state issues, the NIS believes she has entered the stage of being appointed as a successor," said lawmaker Lee Sung Kwon to reporters after a closed meeting with intelligence.
According to lawmakers, the NIS intends to monitor whether Ju Ae will appear at the Workers' Party of Korea congress at the end of February and, if so, in what capacity she will be present there.
South Korean intelligence: Kim Jong Un is raising his 10-year-old daughter as a successor
The party congress is the main political event in North Korea. Congresses are held every five years, and during them, the leadership announces plans for the coming years, including in foreign policy, military affairs, and the nuclear program.
As BBC correspondent in Seoul Jake Kwon reminds, Ju Ae is the only officially known child of Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju.
The NIS believes that Kim has an older child, a son, but neither the leader himself nor the North Korean state media have ever publicly mentioned his existence.
The world learned of Ju Ae's existence shortly after her birth from a rather unexpected source: American basketball player Dennis Rodman, who visited North Korea in 2013 at the invitation of its leadership, told the British newspaper Guardian that he "held baby Ju Ae in his arms."
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