"75th Anniversary of North Korean Regime... Kim Jong-un's Daughter Kim Ju-ae, Prominent Successor"

On the 9th, a German media outlet speculated that Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un, would be the successor to lead the North Korean regime on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the North Korean regime.

Chairman Kim Jong-un and his daughter Kim Ju-ae [Image source=Yonhap News]

Germany's public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) noted in an article titled "The Kim Dynasty's Rule Reaches 75 Years" before the release of the content of the 75th anniversary military parade of the North Korean regime, "The main focus is on who stands next to Chairman Kim at the event, especially whether his daughter Kim Ju-ae will appear."

It continued, "There is a lot of attention on the people around Chairman Kim," adding, "While China and Russia confirmed the attendance of government delegations, North Korea experts' interest will be much more focused on whether the 11-year-old daughter Kim Ju-ae attends."

In fact, Kim Ju-ae appeared alongside Chairman Kim at the military parade held on the evening of the 8th at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, marking the 75th anniversary of the regime's establishment. Since first appearing during a missile test launch in November last year, Kim Ju-ae has continuously accompanied her father at major events.

Regarding this, the media stated, "In a male-dominated society, men have significant advantages as potential leaders, but Kim Ju-ae appears to be her father's favorite child." It further explained, "There have been indications that Kim Ju-ae is being trained to someday seize power as the supreme leader of the communist state of North Korea."

The media presented two reasons for considering Kim Ju-ae as the next successor of the North Korean regime.

First, DW pointed out the three-generation succession of the North Korean regime, noting that Chairman Kim Il-sung and Chairman Kim Jong-il publicly introduced their successors to ensure that their clan would continue to rule.

It also mentioned cases where the successor was not the firstborn of the clan. Kim Ju-ae is the second child among Chairman Kim's three children. The eldest is reported to be male. DW added that after Chairman Kim Il-sung's death in 1994, the successor was the eldest son Kim Jong-il, but when Chairman Kim Jong-il died in 2011, the youngest son Kim Jong-un surpassed the eldest son Kim Jong-nam and the second son Kim Jong-chol.