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Speculation is growing that Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, could be next in line to take the lead in North Korea.
State media in the country’s capital referred to the girl as “hyangdo,” a Korean term for a “great managerial person” reserved exclusively for rulers and their heirs.
Since 2022, the child whose age is unknown has been regularly referred to as “Korea’s morning star” and “beloved child” by North Korean media.
Referring to the child as “hyangdo” has significantly increased suspicions that she could succeed her father and one day rule the nuclear-armed country.
But who is Kim Ju Ae and will she be North Korea’s next leader?
Speculation has grown that Kim Jong Un’s daughter Kim Ju Ae could be next to lead North Korea, after state media referred to her as “hyangdo”, a term exclusively reserved for leaders and their heirs.
But who is Kim Ju Ae and will she be North Korea’s next leader? MailOnline looks into North Korean leader’s daughter
Who is Kim Ju Ae?
According to Korean media, Kim Ju Ae is often considered the Korean leader’s “most loved” or “respected” child.
Media outlets in the country have published a slew of images and videos of the girl with Kim Jong Un at various public events, which could be an indicator of her growing political standing, Sky News reports.
More recently, speculation that the girl would be next in line to become leader of North Korea has increased further.
Seoul’s Unification Ministry said it had not “ruled out” the possibility, with Pyongyang referring to the teenager as a “hyangdo”.
This term is used exclusively by North Korea’s top leaders and their successors.
“Usually, the term ‘hyangdo’ is used only to refer to the highest-ranking official,” Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson for Seoul’s Unification Ministry, said Monday.
“We do not rule out the possibility of Ju Ae’s succession,” he said, adding that Seoul was “monitoring the situation and remaining open to possibilities.”
But the spokesperson warned that if the teenager were to take her father’s place as the nuclear-armed country’s fourth leader: “the North Korean people will bear the brunt of the fallout.”
The girl, identified by South Korean intelligence as Ju Ae, is believed to be the second of three children belonging to Kim Jong Un.
Kim Jong Un reportedly had an eldest son with his wife Ri in 2010, according to South Korean media, but analysts have questioned the reliability of the reports.
North Korea, which is among the most secretive countries in the world, has not confirmed whether Ju Ae has brothers or sisters.
In 2023, Seoul’s unification minister announced that his government was “unable to confirm with certainty” whether the North Korean leader had said his eldest son existed.
Ju Ae is reportedly the child that NBA star Dennis Rodman referred to as Kim’s little girl during his visit to Pyongyang in 2013.
Seoul’s Unification Ministry says it has 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 growing political standing (photo from 2023).
She is believed to be Kim Jong Un’s second child, but Seoul’s unification minister revealed his government was “unable to confirm with certainty” whether the North Korean leader’s eldest son existed.
When was Kim Ju Ae first seen?
In November 2022, the teenager was first seen in public alongside her father as they witnessed the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
His grandfather Kim Jong Il and father Kim Jong Un were not seen in public until they were adults, which is why his appearance stunned foreign experts.
But with the girl making her sixth appearance in 2023, analysts believe there is a recurring “theme”.
She was seen during various military exercises, during a visit to a weapons factory and during a stop at a new chicken farm.
Most recently, a photo released by Pyongyang on Saturday showed the girl using binoculars to observe paratrooper exercises, alongside her father as well as senior military officials.
The founder of the first Associated Press news bureau in North Korea, Jean H Lee, pointed out that Kim Ju Ae was often present in weapons events.
Discussing photos of the teenager taken at a dinner celebrating the 75th anniversary of the North Korean military, Ms Lee told Sky News: “When you look at these photos, she is front and center.
‘She’s there. It’s like this painting of father, mother and daughter. And I think what people noticed, of course, was first and foremost, “Oh my God, he’s introducing his daughter.” What does that mean ?
An analyst at South Korea’s Sejong Institute said Ju Ae’s recurring appearances indicate that 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 with the Sejong Institute, said the North Korean leader assumes his daughter has the ability to lead the country after him.
He told Sky that his presence alongside his father at these key events indicates that he is being taught “royalty” from a young age.
But South Korean intelligence services aren’t the most reliable when it comes to confirming what’s happening in the border country, according to Sky.
North Korea and its media have not confirmed any details about the succession plan.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) previously said it was too premature to label the girl as her father’s heir, as Kim Jong Un, now 40, is still relatively young.
Likewise, the country has also cultivated a culture of male dominance since its establishment in 1948, since every leader since then has been a man from the Kim family.
