The sudden rise of Kim Jong Un’s young daughter suggests she’s “the chosen one” to succeed him as North Korea’s Supreme Leader — potentially to the doom of his once-powerful sister, according to experts.
Kim Ju Ae — thought to be around 9 or 10 — has repeatedly appeared alongside her father at key events since her existence was first confirmed in November, and this week is even honored on five new stamps.
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Experts told the Daily Beast that it suggests Kim no longer relies on his sister, Kim Yo Jong — a precarious position to be in for any of his kin.
“Kim had both his uncle and his half-brother murdered,” David Straub, a former senior diplomat in the American Embassy in Seoul, told the outlet.
“I’ll bet everyone in the Kim clan remembered, perhaps especially Yo Jong.”
Bruce Bennett, a longtime North Korea analyst at the RAND Corporation, suggested that the younger sibling’s headline-grabbing role at previous events may have spelled her downfall.
“My guess is that Kim was getting really upset by all of the outside media on his sister being his potential or likely successor,” Bennett told the Beast.
He noted that Kim’s uncle-in-law, Jang Song Thaek, had initially been No. 2 and the man offering advice before Kim ordered his execution nearly 10 years ago.
Experts warn it could mark doom for Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, once tipped to be his successor.AP
Kim “did not want to hear that his uncle was his regent,” Bennett told the outlet.
“Kim Yo Jong is lucky that she is not as dead as Kim’s uncle,” he also said.
Kim Ju Ae, thought to be the despot’s second-born child, recently took center stage at a massive military parade in Pyongyang and appeared in soon-to-be-released postage stamps.
State media have called her Kim’s “most beloved” or “respected” child, publishing photos of her touching her father’s cheek.
Yo Jong — who previously held a similar role supporting her brother — was not featured prominently at the events or at all on the stamps.
Kim’s daughter’s sudden ascension has even led to a parliamentary committee meeting in the Hermit Kingdom’s neighbor, South Korea, to discuss the belief that she’s being primed as the North’s next leader.
Further cementing the rumors, sources told Radio Free Asia that North Korean females named Ju Ae are being told to get new names — because there can only be one Ju Ae if she becomes Supreme Leader.