Unification Minister: "North Korea's Kim Ju-ae Should Be Considered a Possible Successor to Kim Jong-un"

"Kim Jong-un's Son Not Confirmed"

Unification Minister Kim Young-ho stated regarding whether Kim Jong-un, the Chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission's daughter Ju-ae could become a successor, "Considering her actions, we should keep that possibility open."

On the 27th, during the comprehensive audit by the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, in response to a question from Jeong Jin-seok, a member of the People Power Party, about the 'possibility of Kim Ju-ae as a successor,' Minister Kim said, "At this point, we cannot rule out that possibility."

On the evening of September 8, at the military parade held in Kim Il-sung Square, Pyongyang, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the regime's establishment, Park Jeong-cheon, head of the Party's military leadership, is seen kneeling on one knee and whispering to Ju-ae, daughter of Chairman Kim Jong-un. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Minister Kim also stated that regarding whether Kim Jong-un has a son, "It has not yet been confirmed."

Regarding the North Korean regime, Minister Kim evaluated, "Phenomenally, I think the North Korean regime is being stably operated centered on Chairman Kim Jong-un, but since the North Korean regime has not institutionalized the succession of supreme power, it essentially has considerable instability and vulnerability."

Meanwhile, since her first appearance in November last year, Ju-ae has been observed receiving exceptional treatment from high-ranking North Korean officials, fueling repeated speculation about her as a successor.

Recently, at the military parade commemorating the founding of the North Korean regime, Park Jong-chon, the Director of the Military Leadership Department of the Workers' Party of Korea and the highest-ranking North Korean military officer equivalent to a five-star general, knelt on one knee and whispered to Kim Ju-ae, showing unusual respect.

Additionally, North Korean media referred to Kim Ju-ae with the elevated title of "Respected Daughter," leading some to speculate that North Korea has begun preparations for the fourth-generation succession in earnest.