After nearly 15 years of leadership, it seems that Kim Jong Un is starting to prepare a new leader to eventually take his place; his own daughter.
Various reports from South Korean spy agencies have reported that there is a chance that his daughter is being trained to take on a leadership role in the future.
Both Kim Jong Un and his daughter have begun to make more public appearances together, increasing the suspicions with the spy agencies.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) inside of South Korea has noticed the frequent appearances his daughter has begun to make, speculating that there are increased odds that Kim Jong Un has more intent than just showing off his daughter for attention.
In an interview with press, South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen stated that “…the NIS believes she has now entered the stage of being designated as successor.”
The existence of Kim Jong Un’s daughter has been known since 2013 when Dennis Rodman, former Chicago Bulls player, visited North Korea and was able to see Kim Jong Un’s daughter in her infancy.
Her name is not officially known, as Dennis Rodman mentioned “Ju Ae” as her name when she was an infant, though various other reports by South Korean spy agencies have suggested other names.
A major aspect of the speculation comes from the unconventional aspect of the potential new leadership. Ever since its establishment in 1948, the country has only consisted of three leaders.
Kim Il Sung ruled the country from its establishment until his death in 1994, when King Jong Il took the role of leadership. His rule lasted until 2011, where Kim Jong Un was appointed after his death.
This marks an interesting period for North Korea, if the rumor that Kim Jong Un’s daughter will be considered as a future leader for the country. Not only has there never been a female leader for the country, but she is also young according to reports, being around the age of 13 to 14 years old.
It is unknown what the true purpose of her recent public appearances has been, whether it is to get attention from the press, or begin preparing her for potentially succeeding him in the future. While it is speculation, there are still signs that there could be more to this than just attention.
In a recent NBC News article, when discussing the thoughts of experts, it was reported that “the signals would most likely be subtle, such as self-congratulatory statements about North Korea’s survival and crediting that endurance to the successful inheritance of the socialist cause.”
North Korea has been a constant threat to both South Korean and U.S. intelligence ever since they began publicizing their nuclear weapons programs. With a new potential leader on the table, other countries are keeping an eye on Kim Jong Un as the appearances of his daughter begin to become more frequent, a potential sign of what the future holds for the dictatorship.
