Who is Kim Ju Ae? The ‘most beloved’ child who could succeed Kim Jong-un as leader of North Korea?
Speculation is mounting that Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, could be next for the leading role in North Korea.
State media from the country’s capital have dubbed the young girl “hyangdo” – a Korean term for a “great executive person” reserved exclusively for leaders and their heirs.
Since 2022, the child, whose age is unknown, has been regularly referred to by North Korean media as the “morning star of Korea” and the “beloved child.”
Labeling the child a ‘hyangdo’ has sharply increased suspicions that she will succeed her father and one day rule the nuclear-armed country.
But who is Kim Ju Ae and will she be the next leader of North Korea?
Speculation is growing that Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, could be next to rule North Korea after state media dubbed her “hyangdo,” a term reserved exclusively for leaders and their heirs.
But who is Kim Ju Ae and will she be the next leader of North Korea? MailOnline takes a look at the daughter of the North Korean leader
Who is Kim Ju Ae?
According to Korean media, Kim Ju Ae is often referred to as the Korean leader’s “most beloved” or “respected” child
The country’s media has published a flood of images and videos of the young girl with Kim Jong Un at various public events, which could be an indicator of her rising political status, Sky News reports.
More recently, speculation about the young girl being next in line to lead North Korea has continued to increase.
Seoul’s Unification Ministry said it was not “ruling out” the possibility, as Pyongyang called the teenager “hyangdo.”
This term is used exclusively by top North Korean leaders and their successors.
“Usually, the term ‘hyangdo’ is only used to refer to the highest official,” Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesman for Seoul’s Unification Ministry, said on Monday.
“We do not rule out the possibility of Ju Ae’s succession,” he said, adding that Seoul was “monitoring the situation and remained open to possibilities.”
But the spokesman warned that if the teenager were to take her father’s place as the fourth leader of the nuclear-armed country, “the North Korean people will suffer the consequences.”
The young girl, identified by South Korean intelligence as Ju Ae, is believed to be the second of three children of Kim Jong Un.
South Korean media reported that Kim Jong Un had an eldest son with his wife Ri in 2010, but analysts have questioned the reliability of these reports.
North Korea, which is among the most tight-lipped countries in the world, has not confirmed whether Ju Ae has any siblings.
In 2023, Seoul’s Unification Minister announced that their government “could not confirm with certainty” whether the North Korean leader claimed the eldest son existed.
It is believed that Ju Ae is the child that NBA star Dennis Rodman called Kim’s daughter when he visited Pyongyang in 2013.
The Ministry of Unification in Seoul says they have not ‘ruled out’ that Kim Ju Ae could be next in line, as her increased public appearances alongside her father could be an indicator of her rising political status (photo 2023)
She is believed to be Kim Jong Un’s second child, but Seoul’s Unification Minister revealed that their government “could not confirm with certainty” whether the North Korean leader’s eldest son existed.
When was Kim Ju Ae first seen?
In November 2022, the teen was seen in public for the first time next to her father as they watched the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Both her grandfather Kim Jong Il and her father Kim Jong Un were not seen in public until adulthood, which is why her appearance amazed foreign experts.
But now that the young girl will be seen in her sixth appearance in 2023, analysts believe there is a recurring ‘theme’.
She has been seen at several military exercises, a visit to a weapons factory and a stop at a new chicken farm.
More recently, a photo released by Pyongyang on Saturday showed the youngster using binoculars to watch parachuting exercises alongside her father and senior military officials.
The founder of the first Associated Press news agency in North Korea, Jean H Lee, has pointed out that Kim Ju Ae often attends events about weapons.
Discussing photographs of the teenager taken at a dinner celebrating the 75th anniversary of the North Korean military, Ms Lee told Sky News: ‘If you look at these photos, she is front and centre.
‘She’s there. It’s like this scene of father, mother, daughter. And I think what people noticed first and foremost, of course, was, “Oh my God, he’s presenting his daughter.” What does that mean?”
An analyst from South Korea’s Sejong Institute said Ju Ae’s recurring appearances indicate Kim Jong Un believes his daughter has the ability to succeed him.
Is Kim Ju Ae the next leader of North Korea?
Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst from the Sejong Institute, stated that the North Korean leader believes his daughter has the ability to lead the country after him.
He told Sky that her presence next to her father at these important events indicates that she is being taught about ‘kingship’ from a very young age.
But South Korea’s intelligence services are not the most reliable when it comes to confirming events in the neighboring country, according to Sky.
Neither North Korea nor its media have confirmed details of the succession plan.
Previously, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it was premature to label the young girl as her father’s heir as Kim Jong Un, who is now 40, is still relatively young.
Likewise, the country has also cultivated a culture of male dominance since its founding in 1948, as every leader since then has been a man from the Kim family.