Kim Jong Un’s daughter has made her second public appearance with her father in days, sparking speculation about the North Korean despot’s possible succession plans.
The 38-year-old Kim is said to be in serious health after undergoing cardiovascular surgery in 2020. He has three children with wife Ri Sol Ju, a boy born in 2010 and two girls born in 2013 and 2017, according to reports from South Korean media.
The middle child, Kim Ju Ae, appeared in official photographs with her father at two recent public events, fueling speculation that he considers her his heir apparent.
Ju Ae, who is about 9 or 10 years old, was first photographed with her parents on Nov. 19 walking hand in hand with Kim ahead of the launch of the ICBM into the country.
This undated photo provided on November 27, 2022 by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center right, with his daughter, center left, posing with scientists and workers for a photo, following the launch of what says a Hwasong-17 ICBM, at an unidentified location in North Korea.
(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
This undated photo provided on November 27, 2022 by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and his daughter, right, walking to a photo session with those involved in the recent launch of what Un Hwasong says -17 ICBM, at an unidentified location in North Korea.
(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
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On Sunday, the country’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released photos of her again, this time describing her as Kim’s “most beloved” or “precious” daughter, a more honorific title than “beloved daughter,” which KCNA used to describe her just days earlier, the Associated Press reported.
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“This is certainly surprising. The photograph of Kim Ju Ae standing next to his father as he is celebrated by technicians and scientists involved in the latest ICBM launch would support the notion that this is the beginning of his position as a potential successor.” Ankit Panda, an expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the outlet.
This photo provided on Nov. 19, 2022 by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and his daughter inspect a missile at the Pyongyang International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022.
((Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP))
This photo provided on Nov. 19, 2022 by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and his daughter inspecting the site of a missile launch at Pyongyang International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022 .
((Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP))
“The state media emphasizing her father’s love for her underscores it further, I think. Ultimately, both of her first public appearances were in the context of strategic nuclear weapons, the crown jewels of Korea’s national defense capabilities. North. It doesn’t strike me as a coincidence,” Panda said.
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State media said Sunday that Kim and her daughter took group photos with scientists, officials and others involved in what it called the test firing of its Hwasong-17 ICBM.
KCNA did not name Kim’s daughter, but retired NBA star Dennis Rodman revealed during a 2013 interview with The Guardian that he held Kim’s baby daughter named Ju Ae during her trip to the capital Pyongyang.
