North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un appears to be preparing to hand over power to his teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, according to South Korea’s main spy agency.
In a closed briefing with lawmakers, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said Ju Ae is now at a stage where she is actively positioned to become her father’s successor a significant change from earlier assessments that she was only being “trained” for leadership.
Despite being very young she’s believed to be about 13 years old Ju Ae has been increasingly visible at major state events alongside Kim Jong-Un, including army celebrations, weapons tests, and even a high profile visit to Beijing.
Analysts say these appearances, along with signs she may be weighing in on policy, strongly suggest she is being groomed for future leadership.
South Korea’s intelligence officials are now closely watching whether Ju Ae plays a role at North Korea’s upcoming Workers’ Party Congress, the country’s most important political gathering, which could further reveal how firmly she is being embedded in the leadership structure.
If confirmed, this would mark a historic moment in the secretive, male-dominated Kim dynasty, as Ju Ae would become the first female leader of the isolated nation carrying on its dynastic rule into a fourth generation.
