Kim Ju Ae: Who is the North Korean girl who may succeed Kim Jong Un as leader?
There has been intense speculation over Kim Ju Ae's future role since she was unveiled to the outside world just over a year ago.
Friday 5 January 2024 13:07, UK
South Korea's spy agency has said it considers the young daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un his likely heir.
For the first time, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it views Kim Ju Ae, who is reportedly about 10 years old, as her father's probable successor.
It referenced analysis of her public activities and the state protocols provided to her as grounds for its assessment.
There has been intense speculation over Ju Ae's future role since she was unveiled to the outside world just over a year ago.
Who is Kim Ju Ae?
North Korean state media calls her Kim Jong Un's "most beloved" or "respected" child.
It has released a slew of photos and footage of her accompanying her father at public events, pointing to her rising political standing.
South Korean media has previously speculated she is the leader's second of three children, and that the first child is a son. However, analysts have questioned the credibility of the reports.
North Korea, which is one of the world's most secretive nations, has not confirmed whether Ju Ae has any siblings.
She is thought to be the child who US basketball star Dennis Rodman called Mr Kim's baby daughter after his trip to the capital Pyongyang in 2013.
Surprise reveal
Ju Ae made her first public appearance in November 2022, when she watched a long-range missile test launch with her father.
It came as a huge surprise to foreign experts as neither Kim Jong Un nor his father Kim Jong Il were mentioned in North Korean state media before they became adults.
Following her sixth public appearance last year, a North Korea analyst told Sky News there is a "theme" emerging.
Jean H Lee, who set up the Associated Press news agency's first bureau in North Korea, said the events she has been attending tend to involve "weapons and missiles".
She said the most striking images of Ju Ae are from when she attended a military banquet to mark the 75th anniversary of the country's army last February.
"When you look at these pictures she's front and centre. She is there. It's like this tableau of father, mother, daughter. And I think what people noticed, of course, first and foremost was, 'oh my gosh, he's presenting his daughter'. What does that mean?", she told the Sky News Daily podcast.
How likely is she to succeed her father?
Mr Kim likely believes his daughter has the capacity and resolve to succeed him as leader, according to an analyst at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea.
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Cheong Seong-Chang said the North Korean leader's obesity appears so serious that "it won't be surprising even if he collapses tomorrow".
"By accompanying her father on major events, it's like she's learning kingship and building a human network at a tender age," he said.
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However, South Korea's intelligence service has a patchy record when it comes to confirming developments there.
There is no also official comment from North Korean state media on the succession plan.
In the past, the NIS and other South Korean government officials have warned it was too early to view Ju Ae as her father's heir, given Mr Kim's relatively young age - he turns 40 on Monday.
It has also cited North Korea's male-dominated power structure. Since its foundation in 1948, North Korea has been ruled by successive male members of the Kim family.
Kim may want to portray his family as 'being like the British royals'
Speaking on Sky's Daily podcast last year, analyst Ms Lee said Ju Ae's appearances are a "cultivation of the Kim family, monarchy and dynasty".
"I'm sure there is in some part a strategy of trying to portray themselves, kind of like the Royal Family in the United Kingdom."