Of:
Matilda Aprea Malmqvist
Published: Less than 2 hours ago
NEWS
Until recently, few knew she existed.
But now Kim Jong-Un's daughter has been given a prominent role in North
Korea's news media for two weekends in a row.
It is now speculated whether the daughter Ju-Ae is being teased to
become the dictator's successor, but North Korea expert Niklas Swanström
has a different explanation.
Last weekend, Kim Jong-Un came hand in hand with his daughter as he was
to oversee a test of long-range robots.
It was the first time that North Korea's dictator had his daughter Ju-Ae
photographed. Ju-Ae was wearing a white jacket with red shoes with her
hair in a loose ponytail. In the North Korean reporting, she was
described as "precious" and his "much loved" daughter.
On Sunday, she reappeared with her father as they attended tests of the
Hwasong-17 intercontinental robotic system. This time in a black coat
with a fur collar, again hand in hand with his father. The wife Ri Sol
Ju was also in the pictures.
The fact that she went from being totally invisible, to now having a
prominent role in the news media, puts ants in the heads of outside
experts worldwide, who are now speculating that she is about to get the
role as a possible successor.
- A photo of Ju-Ae standing next to her father, and being hailed by
technicians and scientists involved in the latest robot shooting, lends
support to the idea that she is now on the way to the role of possible
successor, says Ankit Panda of the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace in the US to the news agency AP.
Kim Jong-Un with daughter Ju-Ae in front of cheering subjects. Photo: AP
The North Korea expert: Introducing the political game
Niklas Swanström, North Korea expert and head of the Institute for
Security and Development Policy (ISPD), disagrees and believes that the
possibility that a woman would be accepted to succeed Kim Jong-Un is
small.
- One could hope, but given the male-dominated culture in the country,
it is unlikely. The best scenario is rather that she becomes a form of
advisor, just like Kim Jong-Un's sister. She is probably being trained
for some kind of role.
Niklas Swanström believes that Kim Jong Un still seems to judge his
daughter to be ready to be introduced into the big political game.
- Should Kim Jong Un live very long and really want her to be his
successor, he might be able to change society enough to make it
possible. But not at the moment, I don't think he has that idea.
He believes that Kim Jong Un's natural successor will be his son.
Dictator Kim Jong-Un greets the assembled scientists and workers. Photo:
AP
Wants to show off as the father of the family
Instead, Niklas Swanström interprets the daughter's appearance as Kim
Jong Un wanting to show off what kind of family man he is - both to his
own internal family but also as a father of the country for the general
North Korean.
- Kim Jong Un has done his biggest tests ever. It is a huge financial
burden on the people, a robot costs between 2-3 million dollars and he
has fired 24 in just one day. Being then able to show off his daughter
and show himself as this great father who protects the people gives an
explanation for the robots.
The photos were taken during a missile test. Photo: AP
The dictator and the daughter hand in hand. Photo: AP
Keeping the family a secret
At the same time, the world knows almost nothing about the daughter. Her
age is unknown but she is believed to be in her 10s. But other experts
say she could be as old as 12–13 years. It is believed that she is the
second oldest of the three siblings, one brother and one sister. There
are no known photos of Ju-Ae's siblings.
Kim Jong Un's wife, also the mother of the children, is called Ri
Sol-Ju. In 2012, North Korea confirmed their marriage — after they were
spotted together at a concert. She is believed to be around 30 years old
and a former singer and cheerleader.
During 2012–2014, Ri was often seen in North Korean media, together with
her husband, but after that she has disappeared from the limelight for
long periods. It has been speculated that the times Ri Sol-Ju was not
seen, she may have been pregnant.
One of the pictures from the first photo session. Photo: 朝鮮通保社 / AP
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