Experts believe that Kim Jong Un’s young daughter is “the chosen one” to succeed him as North Korea’s Supreme Leader, which might spell the end for his once-powerful sister.
Kim Ju Ae, who is believed to be between nine and ten years old, has frequently appeared beside her father at major events since her existence was proven in November, and this week she was recognized with the release of five new stamps.
Analysts told The Daily Beast that this indicates Kim no longer relies on his sister Kim Yo Jong, a perilous situation for any of his relatives.
“Kim had both his uncle and half-brother murdered,” said David Straub, a former senior official at the American embassy in Seoul.
“I’m sure everyone in the Kim clan remembered, possibly Yo Jong in particular
Bruce Bennett, a veteran North Korea expert at the RAND Corporation, speculated that the younger sibling’s role in past high-profile incidents may have contributed to her demise.
Bennett told The Beast that he believed Kim was becoming increasingly irritated by the media’s coverage of his sister’s possible or probable succession.
He highlighted that Jang Song Thaek, Kim’s uncle-in-law, was initially No. 2 and the man offering advise before Kim ordered his murder nearly ten years ago.
Kim “did not want to hear that his uncle was serving as his regent,” according to Bennett.
He also stated, “Kim Yo Jong is fortunate that she is not as dead as Kim’s uncle.”
Kim Ju Ae, presumed to be the dictator’s second-born kid, recently stole the show during a big military parade in Pyongyang and may soon appear on postage stamps.
State media have referred to her as Kim’s “most cherished” or “most revered” child and have published photographs of her stroking her father’s cheek.
Yo Jong, who previously supported her brother in a similar capacity, was not prominently featured at the events nor on the stamps.
The meteoric rise of Kim’s daughter has even prompted a meeting of a legislative committee in the Hermit Kingdom’s neighbor, South Korea, to debate the assumption that she is being groomed to become the North’s next leader.
Sources tell Radio Free Asia that North Korean women with the name Ju Ae are being instructed to change it, as there can be only one Ju Ae if she becomes Supreme Leader.
Experts said that Yo Jong’s aunt likely plays a crucial role in preparing her baby niece, given her fragile age.
Evans Revere, a former member of the State Department in Washington and the U.S. embassy in Seoul, told The Daily Beast that Ju Ae will need many more years of schooling and training before she can inherit the reins if she is being groomed as a potential successor.
Yo Jong’s destiny may ultimately depend on the health of her brother, who, while being only 39 years old, is obese and has reportedly endured a number of health scares over the past few years.
Revere remarked that the dictator is “hardly a picture of health.”
Former member of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service Kisam Kim claimed that Yo Jong’s only hope is if her brother “dies immediately.”
Kim noted that it is highly probable that the “crazy man has health problems and is aware that his days are numbered.”
Despite this, lawmakers in the South are skeptical that Kim will defy convention and choose his kingdom’s first female leader.
Unification Minister Kwon Youngse, South Korea’s top official on North Korea, stated in a parliamentary session that it was doubtful that the North would choose a woman to succeed to power.
Since its founding in 1948, North Korea has been dominated by male members of the Kim family, with a small number of women holding prominent roles.
“It is premature to assume that (Kim Ju Ae) will be his heir because in North Korea, the son has always succeeded the throne,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, D.C.
We do not yet know if Kim Jong Un is willing to defy precedent regarding the gender of his successor or if she will play a pivotal role in supporting whoever Kim chooses
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