Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, has selected his 13-year-old daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his heir, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday.
Who Is Kim Ju Ae?
Kim Ju Ae is the only known child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. However, the National Intelligence Service claims that Kim Jong Un has an older son, but he has never been acknowledged or shown in North Korean media.
In recent months, Kim Ju Ae has been pictured beside her father at high-profile events. She also made her first know overseas trip to Beijing in September.
Kim Ju Ae made her public debut in 2022, inspecting the latest intercontinental ballistic missile. She was photographed holding her father’s hand.
If confirmed, her designation would mark a historic shift, as North Korea has been ruled by male members of the Kim family since 1948. Kim Jong Un himself was officially named heir in 2010 when he was 26 years old.
