The youngest daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to succeed her father.
According to South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, Kim Jo Ae is the expected successor to her father, Kim Jong Un. Who is Kim Joo Ah who is said to one day sit on Kim Jong Un’s throne?
Kim Jong-un is sensitive about his family and that is the reason why very little information about his family comes to the public.
Kim Jong-un also kept the name of his wife Ri Sol-jo a secret for years after their marriage, and she first appeared in public in 2012, while the two were married in 2009, according to South Korean media.
South Korean media claim that Kim Jong Un’s first child was born in 2010.
When was the name Kim Joo first heard?
Kim Jo A’s presence first came to light in 2013 when retired American basketball player Dennis Rodman visited North Korea.
At the time, Dennis Rodman said he had spent time at sea with Kim Jong-un’s family and held his daughter, Kim Jo-ah.
According to Fyodor Truttsky, an analyst who researches North Korean politics, North Korean state media also did not reveal Kim Joo-e’s name and age when they acknowledged his presence.
He further said that ‘there is no more information regarding his daughter, it can be estimated that she may be ten years old or more.’
Last year, the National Intelligence Service told South Korean politicians in a secret meeting that Kim Joo-ah had never entered an educational institution and was home-schooled.
South Korea’s spy agency also said that Kim Joo-ah likes horseback riding, swimming and skiing. A person who attended the meeting told reporters that the North Korean leader was impressed by his daughter’s horse riding.
According to the National Intelligence Service, Kim Joo-ak also has an older brother and a younger sibling at home, whose gender is unknown.
When did Kim Joo A first appear in public?
Kim Jo A first came into the public eye in November 2022 when she was present with her father during a missile test. Since then, she has been spotted with her father several times.
Recently, she was seen kissing her father on the cheek at the May One Stadium in the North Korean capital during the New Year celebration.
In December, she was seen with her father during a missile test, and she was also present with her father during North Korea’s satellite launch in November.
In February 2023, a news broadcast by Radio Free Asia claimed that all people in North Korea named Kim Joo-ah had been ordered to change their names.
According to experts who closely monitor North Korea, Kim Jo Ae is referred to as the ‘respected’ daughter rather than the ‘beloved’ daughter. In North Korea, ‘venerable’ is used only for holy figures.
His father, Kim Jong-un, was addressed as ‘comrade’, indicating that he would succeed his father.
Expected successor?
North Korea is lonely and no one knows why she is seen with her father all the time.
The people of North Korea are told that the ruling family is hereditary, which means that only they can lead the country.
Some analysts believe that the purpose of introducing Kim Joo-ah to the public may be that Kim Jong-un wants his daughter to establish herself among the people before taking the throne.
It should be noted that there is no evidence that Kim Jo A will soon succeed her father. In the past there have been rumors that Kim Jong-un is ill, which have been dismissed by the authorities.
“During the era of the former leaders of North Korea, there was a lot of propaganda that Kim Jong-II and Kim-II-Sung were sympathetic figures.”
Professor Edward Howell of Oxford University says, “I think that by showing Kim Jong-un with his daughter, the message is being given that Kim Jong-un is also a compassionate person.”
North Korea came into being in 1948 and has been ruled by only men since then. If Kim Joo-A sits on the throne, she will be her country’s first female head of state.
Edward Howell says that the ruling family of North Korea also has a sister-in-law of Kim Jong-un who could be a replacement for her brother in the future.
He added that Kim Yo-jong is older than his niece Kim Jo-ah and has experience in North Korean politics. Even if the next head becomes a daughter or a sister, it will be related to the same family.
However, Fyodor Tertatsky believes that it is premature to say anything about who will replace Kim Jong Un.
He further said that ‘for example, if he dies at the age of 70 like his father, then it will be 2054. Even if the North Korean state survives, society may have changed.
“However, it should be remembered that there is a difference between respecting all genders and recognizing a female ruler.”