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Topics: World News, News, Politics
Rhiannon Ingle
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly chosen his heir, according to South Korea's spy agency.
Kim Jong Un is the third Supreme Leader and dictator of North Korea, as well as the youngest son of Kim Jong Il, his predecessor as Supreme Leader, and a grandson of Kim Il Sung, the founder of the East Asian nation.
It has been reported that Kim Jong Un's daughter, Kim Ju Ae, who is believed to be 13, will eventually take over from her father.
If Kim Jong Un confirms such news with an official announcement, it will be the first time a female leader has ruled the country.
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South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) revealed in a closed-door briefing to the country’s lawmakers on Thursday (12 February) that the alleged teen, who has previously been described by the NIS as being 'trained' to be a successor, was now at the stage of 'successor designation'.
"In the past, (NIS) described Kim Ju Ae as being in the midst of 'successor training'. What was notable today is that they used the term 'successor-designate stage', a shift that's quite significant," lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen said.
He added: "As Kim Ju Ae has shown her presence at various events, including the founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army and her visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, and signs have been detected of her voicing her opinion on certain state policies, the NIS believes she has now entered the stage of being designated as successor."
NIS said its assessment drew on a range of factors, pointing in particular to her growing visibility at official functions.
The agency is also watching closely to see whether she attends North Korea’s party congress later this month, the country’s biggest political gathering held every five years.
The congress typically sets out priorities on foreign policy, military strategy and nuclear development for the next phase.
North Korean state media have never published her name, and they refer to her only as Kim Jong Un’s 'respected' or 'most beloved' child.
The assumption that she is called Kim Ju Ae comes largely from former NBA champion Dennis Rodman, who said he held Kim’s baby daughter during a 2013 visit to Pyongyang.
Her exact age remains unclear, though South Korean intelligence believes she was born in 2013, making her 13.
Kim Ju Ae is the only publicly known child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, whom he married in 2009. The NIS has reported that Kim may also have an older son, though he has never been acknowledged or shown in state media.
"Although the South Korean spy agency now believes Ju Ae is the designated heir, it still raises questions," the BBC reports.
"It is puzzling why Ju Ae, a daughter, would be selected as the heir above an older son in North Korea's deeply patriarchal society. However, it is also a mystery why Kim Jong Un, who is still young and appears relatively healthy, is already designating a 13-year-old child as his heir now."