Seoul, South Korea
—
A teenage girl shrouded in mystery and intrigue may well become the next leader of the isolated, reclusive nation of North Korea.
Some experts believe that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is grooming his daughter to become his successor by taking him on increasingly frequent and high-profile trips, sparking speculation in recent years.
The exact age of the girl, said to be named Kim Joo-ae, is unknown, but it is widely believed that she is in her early teens.
Rumors of a successor grew stronger on Thursday after South Korea’s intelligence agency said it believed the dictator had “entered the stage of naming her as his successor.”
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) announced this latest assessment in a private meeting with members of Congress, who then shared their findings with reporters.
According to the National Intelligence Service, it appears that Jue not only attended important events but also “expressed his opinions on some measures” in terms of policy, according to the National Intelligence Service.
None of this has been officially confirmed, and there are many unknowns about the Kim family. Very little information leaves or leaves North Korea, one of the world’s most closed and repressive countries.
The pandemic has deepened this isolation, with borders closed and most remaining diplomatic missions and international nonprofit organizations leaving the country.
But intelligence agencies are closely monitoring events that could provide clues, especially about the future of the Kim dynasty that has ruled North Korea for generations.
One such event is the first major political rally in five years, scheduled to take place in late February, where the country could set new priorities and reshuffle officials.
Lawmakers said the NIS will closely monitor whether Chue attends meetings, the level of courtesy accorded her, symbolic titles and other clues.
Western experts believe that Mr. Kim has three children and that Mr. Jue is the middle child, but there is no way to confirm this.
The world first learned of Chue in 2013 when American basketball star Dennis Rodman made a controversial visit to the capital, Pyongyang. Afterward, he told the Guardian, “I held baby Joo-ae and also talked to (Kim’s wife).”
Chue remained in the shadows until his first public appearance in 2022, when he accompanied his father to oversee the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). One notable photo showed the leader holding the hand of a chubby-cheeked young girl with bangs and a long ponytail, with a towering missile in the background.
In the years that followed, she made more public appearances, including at military events such as a parade in the nation’s capital overlooking a convoy of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Her first overseas trip was in September last year, when she accompanied her father to Beijing to attend a military parade for Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
In a show of force during the parade, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin flanked Xi and walked ahead of other world leaders, forming a trio of authoritarians aligned with their mission to forge a new world order against the West.
As they projected their harsh message to the world in front of millions of people, hiding from the cameras somewhere in Beijing was a young Jue.
She is the only known child of Kim Jong Un, and state media regularly refers to her as his “beloved daughter” and “dear daughter.”
If Kim has other children, they have never been seen in public.
However, not everyone considers Jouet to be the anointed successor. Some experts say this is just a PR stunt to get international attention.
How the Kim family’s successor is chosen has been a mystery for decades, an expert previously told CNN. So why change it now?
Experts told CNN that Kim’s other children could be chosen in their place, a deliberate choice to keep them out of sight for the time being, preserve their anonymity, and give them more options for education and training.
Kim himself studied abroad in Switzerland in the 1990s. But that’s an unlikely option for Jue, who has the spotlight firmly on her.
A lot can happen between now and the moment of final succession. It could be many more years before Mr. Kim, who is believed to be in his 40s, passes the baton.
