The Hermit Kingdom, as North Korea is often called, has reportedly proven an enigma for U.S. and allied intelligence agencies. The west knows little about the ruling Kim family; even basic details like ages and genders of children are vague.
What little we do know is often the result of carefully-curated North Korean state media coverage, which the regime uses to further propagate a cult of personality and therefore must be viewed skeptically. Recently, however, a new player has emerged in public appearances that has analysts taking note: dictator Kim Jon Un’s daughter, Ju Ae.
The “beloved,” “noble,” and “respected” daughter, thought to be around age 10, made her inaugural appearance last November holding a stopwatch alongside her father at an ICBM test launch. She has since appeared with her father in state media at a multitude of official events, including a military parade in February, the ground-breaking on a new street that same month, and a sporting event this spring. In May, images were released of Kim and his daughter inspecting a purported spy satellite.
The emergence of Kim Ju Ae is itself an interesting development in North Korea. But what is really raising questions of succession is how her apparent rise has corresponded with a decreased prominence in state media for Kim’s bombastic sister and previously-assumed successor-in-waiting, Kim Yo Jong. An article in The Diplomat highlighted how “[t]he use of the honorific ‘respected’ is unusual for a girl of around 10, and it has never been used about Kim Yo Jong.”
Still, other analysts view Jue Ae’s emergence as something more benign: an attempt by the regime to deflect public attention away from what is thought to be a severe food shortage and reinforce the image of a benevolent leader and father figure. The true motive will likely remain a mystery until Kim formally names a successor – an act which may be a long way off for the 39-year-old dictator unless health concerns caused by obesity and reported heavy drinking hasten his demise.
In the meantime, what little else is publicly known about Jue Ae comes courtesy of South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), which reportedly told South Korean lawmakers in March that Ju Ae was home-schooled and that she enjoyed horseback riding – which she is “very good” at, to her father’s satisfaction – skiing, and swimming. The NIS briefing to South Korean lawmakers also revealed another surprise: their belief that Ju Ae has an older brother, possibly with a physical or mental disability, and a younger sibling of unknown gender.
In a patriarchal society like North Korea, the prospect of a future female “dear leader” does raise interesting questions about regime stability. Would Jue Ae – or Kim’s sister, for that matter – be accepted as the rightful heir by the powerful generals who control North Korea’s military-industrial complex, or would such a move create instability and the possibility of a coup? Time will tell, but this is quite literally a palace intrigue worth watching.
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