Experts believe Kim Jong-un chose his daughter as his heir after she appeared in public with the North Korean dictator for the second time.
Ju-ae, 10 years old daughter of Kim Jong-un, was seen smiling with her father in a photo while awarding the people responsible for building the country’s latest nuclear weapon, the second time she has been photographed in front of the missiles in a week.
The state media’s portrayal of her as the “most beloved” and “precious” child strongly suggests that she must have been chosen to be the heir of North Korea.
According to Ankit Panda, a North Korean expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the striking images suggest Ju-ae will be the possible heir of North Korea. As seen in the photo, the position of the child beside Kim Jong-un is very striking. Also, they are not alone as they posed with the people involved with the ICBM launch.
Why has Kim chosen to reveal his daughter to the world at this time?
This carries significant risks for North Korea’s many enemies can target her. Ju-ae would also be North Korea’s first female heir-apparent, raising concerns about her ability to control the country’s male-dominated military and Workers’ Party power brokers.
Cheong Seong-Chang of South Korea’s private Sejong Institute suggested that the girl’s gender could explain why Kim chose to reveal her so early – to acquaint his people with the idea of a female leader.
Cheong went on to say that it is not uncommon in North Korea where leaders choose their heirs at a young age based on who they believe has the best skill to lead.
Kim Jong-un himself is thought to have been chosen by his father at the age of eight, despite being named heir years later, and is also the middle child of three.
However, the rumored existence of an elder brother has led to speculation that Kim is concealing his true heir from the public, at least for the time being.
If this is true, then it’s too early to speculate who is this country’s true heir.
