Why daughter of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un has inched closer to becoming next ruler
Kim Ju-ae is seen by Korean analysts as a potential successor, given the number of high-profile events she has attended alongside her father
Kim Jong-il was 17 when he joined Kim Il-sung on a 1959 visit to Moscow, and later escorted him on repeated trips to China, including a 1983 visit to Beijing.
According to a report by The Chosun Daily, former vice unification minister Kim Hyung-seok said: “Judging solely from the way Kim Ju-ae is making public appearances, it would not be unreasonable to view her as a potential successor.
“I suspect this is also part of a strategy to soften the negative image of Kim Jong-un’s regime, which has been racing ahead with nuclear and missile development.”
Ju-ae’s existence first became known to the outside world in 2013, when former American basketball star Dennis Rodman, a frequent visitor to Pyongyang, disclosed that he had met Kim’s infant daughter. She is believed to be 12 years old now, according to experts on Korean affairs.