Is This the Face of North Korea’s Future Leader? Kim Jong Un Shows Off His Daughter

An official from South Korea’s Unification Ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity according to department rules during a background briefing, said Kim Ju Ae’s repeated appearances at significant events and her prominent exposure in state media were also aimed at strengthening domestic loyalty to the Kim family. The official said it was too early to determine whether she was being groomed as her father’s successor but added that “all possibilities are open.”

“We can only speculate at this point,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. Kim Jong Un is “obviously showing her off intentionally and, at a minimum, he seems to be trying to reiterate the importance, status and legitimacy of a direct Kim bloodline offspring. It’s too soon to assume that she will be his heir because the son has always succeeded the throne in North Korea.”

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