Published: Less than 30 min ago
Until recently, few knew she existed.
But now Kim Jong-Un’s daughter has been given a prominent role in North Korea’s news media for two weekends in a row.
It is now speculated whether the daughter Ju-Ae is being teased to become the dictator’s successor, but North Korea expert Niklas Swanström has a different explanation.
Last weekend, Kim Jong-Un came hand in hand with his daughter as he was to oversee a test of long-range robots.
It was the first time that North Korea’s dictator had his daughter Ju-Ae photographed. Ju-Ae was wearing a white jacket with red shoes with her hair in a loose ponytail. In the North Korean reporting, she was described as “precious” and his “much loved” daughter.
On Sunday, she reappeared with her father as they attended tests of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental robotic system. This time in a black coat with a fur collar, again hand in hand with his father. The wife Ri Sol Ju was also in the pictures.
The fact that she went from being totally invisible, to now having a prominent role in the news media, puts ants in the heads of outside experts worldwide, who are now speculating that she is about to get the role as a possible successor.
– A photo of Ju-Ae standing next to her father, and being hailed by technicians and scientists involved in the latest robot shooting, lends support to the idea that she is now on the way to the role of possible successor, says Ankit Panda of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the US to the news agency AP.
The North Korea expert: Introducing the political game
Niklas Swanström, North Korea expert and head of the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISPD), disagrees and believes that the possibility that a woman would be accepted to succeed Kim Jong-Un is small.
– One could hope, but given the male-dominated culture in the country, it is unlikely. The best scenario is rather that she becomes a form of advisor, just like Kim Jong-Un’s sister. She is probably being trained for some kind of role.
Niklas Swanström believes that Kim Jong Un still seems to judge his daughter to be ready to be introduced into the big political game.
– Should Kim Jong Un live very long and really want her to be his successor, he might be able to change society enough to make it possible. But not at the moment, I don’t think he has that idea.
He believes that Kim Jong Un’s natural successor will be his son.
Wants to show off as the father of the family
Instead, Niklas Swanström interprets the daughter’s appearance as Kim Jong Un wanting to show off what kind of family man he is – both to his own internal family but also as a father of the country for the general North Korean.
– Kim Jong Un has done his biggest tests ever. It is a huge financial burden on the people, a robot costs between 2-3 million dollars and he has fired 24 in just one day. Being then able to show off his daughter and show himself as this great father who protects the people gives an explanation for the robots.
Keeping the family a secret
At the same time, the world knows almost nothing about the daughter. Her age is unknown but she is believed to be in her 10s. But other experts say she could be as old as 12–13 years. It is believed that she is the second oldest of the three siblings, one brother and one sister. There are no known photos of Ju-Ae’s siblings.
Kim Jong Un’s wife, also the mother of the children, is called Ri Sol-Ju. North Korea confirmed their marriage in 2012 – after they were spotted together at a concert. She is believed to be around 30 years old and a former singer and cheerleader.
During 2012–2014, Ri was often seen in North Korean media, together with her husband, but after that she has disappeared from the limelight for long periods. It has been speculated that the times Ri Sol-Ju was not seen, she may have been pregnant.