Kim Jong-un’s daughter Ju-ae loves horses, skiing: South Korean spies to parliament
- Kim Ju-ae is being home-schooled in Pyongyang and is ‘very good at horseback riding’ which pleases her father, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers
- The agency said her unveiling in November appeared intended to underscore the importance of another hereditary power succession for North Korea
The South Korean government has assessed that Kim, 39, hasn’t anointed her as his heir. But it says he likely aims to use his daughter’s appearances as a way to show his people that one of his children would one day inherit his power in what would be the country’s third hereditary power transfer.
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Kim Jong-un’s daughter seen at military events, sparking succession speculation
In a closed-door parliamentary committee meeting on Tuesday, the National Intelligence Service maintained that assessment, saying Kim Jong-un is still too young and healthy to appoint his successor, according to Yoo Sang-bum, one of the lawmakers who attended the session.
The NIS said the daughter’s unveiling largely appeared intended to underscore the imperativeness of another hereditary power succession, Yoo told reporters.
Kim Ju-ae has never been enrolled at an official education facility and is being home-schooled in Pyongyang, Yoo said. He quoted the NIS as saying her hobbies are horseback riding, skiing and swimming.
As North Korea unveils stamps of Kim’s daughter, South doubts she is successor
The NIS said it has information that Kim Ju-ae is “very good at horseback riding” and that Kim Jong-un is satisfied with that, the lawmaker said.
Last month, Kim Jong-un and his daughter took centre stage at a Pyongyang military parade, which featured a ceremonial cavalry unit trotting through the parade plaza riding white horses – a symbol associated with the Kim family’s dynastic rule. The North’s state television described one of the animals as “most beloved” by Kim Ju-ae.
The NIS also said that Kim Ju-ae has an elder brother and a younger sibling whose gender is still unknown. It said reports that Kim’s first child, a son, has mental or physical problems haven’t been verified, according to the lawmaker.
Some experts say it’s almost certain that Kim Ju-ae is her father’s successor because state media have called her Kim Jong-un’s “most beloved” or “respected” child and published images showing her closeness with her father. But others disagree, citing Kim’s relatively young age and the extremely male-dominated nature of North Korea’s power hierarchy.
Since its foundation in 1948, North Korea has been successively ruled by male members of the Kim family: Kim’s father Kim Jong-il and his grandfather and state founder Kim Il-sung.
North Korea calls for ‘rural revolution’ amid worst food shortage in decades
The NIS has a spotty record confirming developments in the secretive North. It often releases its findings on North Korea through a parliamentary committee meeting.
Experts say the North’s food situation is the worst it has been under Kim’s 11-year rule, but maintain they see no signs of imminent famine or mass deaths.
The NIS assessed the North’s food problem is attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, its agricultural policy and an issue of grain distribution.
