Kim’s daughter: Future leader or PR stunt?

Kim Ju-Ae stands, festively dressed and focused, by father Kim Jong-Un’s side. But does the spotlight on the girl mean she is North Korea’s future leader, or is it a PR stunt?

It is still too early to determine the daughter’s status, South Korea claims.

Since November last year, the girl, who is believed to be nine or ten years old, has been seen at several different public events by her father’s side. She has attended tests of intercontinental robots and ceremonial military parades. The child, often solemnly dressed in black, father also holds North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-Un by the hand, seemingly curiously focused on what is being presented at the moment.

Propaganda agencies have gone from calling her Kim Jong-Un’s “beloved” daughter to “respected” daughter, which experts say marks a status update in the hierarchy of the North Korean ruling family.

Only after Kim Jong-Un’s status as future leader was established did he begin to be referred to as “our respected comrade.”

Is your name Ju-Ae?

A series of stamps featuring Kim Ju-Ae has been issued in North Korea during the month, AFP reports. In the images on the stamps, decorated with flowers and nuclear weapons, Ju-Ae is seen with father Kim Jong-Un inspecting robots. The focus is on the father-daughter relationship.

The stamps appear to be “the official start of Kim Ju-Ae’s life as his father’s successor,” according to researcher An Chan-Il of the World Institute for North Korea Studies.

Is your name Ju-Ae? was also the question to Radio Free Asia’s listeners this week. The radio channel’s sources state that the name is now banned for North Korean girls and women. Still, the name of Kim’s daughter has not yet been made public in the country.

– The social worker said that the reason why the authorities are investigating people named Ju-Ae and forcing them to change their names is that the name of the girl who was proclaimed the “noble child of the highest dignity” is Ju-Ae, an anonymous source tells RFA and continues:

– An order has been given to ensure that no one has the same name.

Forced name changes have previously occurred three times in North Korea’s history, then because those who bore the name shared it with leaders Il-Sung, Jong-Il and Jong-Un.

Propaganda purposes

But not everyone is convinced that Ju-Ae has been appointed as North Korea’s future leader. In South Korea, the girl’s status is being questioned by the Minister of Korean Reunification, Kwon Young-Se, according to the AP news agency.

Kwon refers, among other things, to Kim Jong-Un’s relatively young age, 39 years.

– Given Kim Jong-Un’s age and the fact that North Korea has a much more patriarchal culture than ours, there are many doubts as to whether it is correct that North Korea is preparing a woman to take over power, Kwon said recently before a meeting with a parliamentary committee.

According to Kwon, the purpose of the girl’s repeated public appearances is rather to increase the leadership family’s popularity and prepare for a future power shift within the family.

“Throughout North Korea’s history, the name of an official heir to power has always been announced to the people,” said Yang Moo-Jin, a professor at the University of North Korea Studies in Seoul.

– It is very possible that Ju-Ae is only used for propaganda, while Kim’s eldest son is secretly being groomed as a successor.

Facts

Kim Jong-Un’s family

Read more