Kim Jong Un’s daughter Ju Ae clearly in line to rule, says South Korean intelligence agency

SEOUL – The South Korean intelligence agency said on Oct 29 that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter Kim Ju Ae appears to be on a rising path to power.

Citing the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Representative Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea told reporters there are growing signs suggesting a “clear elevation of Ju Ae’s status”.

He was briefed on North Korea affairs by the NIS as vice-chair of the National Assembly intelligence committee.

The NIS said Mr Kim’s pre-teen daughter was increasingly visible at Workers’ Party of Korea events. She was frequently spotted next to her father, with official media carrying photographs of just the two of them.

In her recent public appearances, she was seen being escorted or assisted by other powerful figures of the regime such as Kim Yo-Jong, the North Korean leader’s sister. Earlier in October, she was also seen speaking directly with the Russian ambassador to North Korea, Mr Alexander Matsegora.

“Her status seems to be well-established,” said Mr Park, who was deputy director of the NIS under the last Moon Jae In administration.

In January, the NIS acknowledged the younger Kim as the likely successor to her father for the first time. She has maintained a high-profile since appearing for the first time in late 2022.

The NIS said that while propping up his daughter, the North Korean leader is also trying to stand out himself.

“Kim Jong-un wants to emerge from the shadows of his two predecessors, his father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Il-sung. He is intensifying efforts to have himself idolised,” the lawmaker said.

According to Mr Park, the NIS also said the North Korean leader was ramping up high-tech security around him due to a fear of assassination. These measures include the deployment of network jamming vehicles and drone detection systems.

The lawmaker said Mr Kim was putting himself in the public eye more often this year compared to last year. He has made 110 public appearances over the year, which is about 60 per cent more than the year before.

“The NIS believes Kim Jong-un is making calculated moves around the televised US presidential debates, like his most recent visit to the uranium enrichment facility last month,” he said.

On the possibility of North Korea timing a nuclear weapons test to influence the US presidential election, the NIS thinks a seventh test -- if it does happen -- is more likely to be carried out after rather than before the election, the lawmaker said.

Other possible military provocations that could be conducted by North Korea include launching an intercontinental ballistic missile or an intermediate-range ballistic missile. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK