Intelligence reports indicated that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s introduction of his teenage daughter as a potential successor to power could lead to a bloody conflict within the ruling family that has ruled the country for decades.
South Korea’s intelligence agency recently revealed that Kim, who inherited power from his father and grandfather, had chosen his daughter, Kim Joo-ae, who is believed to be 13 years old, to take over the leadership in the event of his death.
The Telegraph newspaper quoted a former intelligence official as saying that naming Jo-Ae as a potential heir would likely lead to a “bloody power struggle” within the family. In the same context, Rah Jong-yil, the former South Korean ambassador to the United Kingdom and deputy director of the intelligence service in Seoul, believed that “Jo-Ae” may face strong opposition from her aunt, “Kim Yo-jong,” whom he described as “ambitious and cruel.”
Speculation in Pyongyang indicates that Kim Yo Jong, 38, may try to seize power in the event of her brother’s death or incapacity, which “does not bode well for Go-I in a dynasty that has never shied away from assassinating its political opponents,” the Korean diplomat said.
Joo-ae has been appearing more frequently at official events recently, fueling speculation that she is being groomed to succeed her father. She is the only known daughter of Kim and his wife, Ri Sol-jo. In contrast, her aunt enjoys broad political and military support within the Workers’ Party of Korea, and is widely considered the second most powerful figure in the country.
“It depends on the timing,” Rah Jong Yil said, noting that Kim Yo Jong “will seize the opportunity” if she sees a real possibility of reaching the position of supreme leader.
Given the family’s history, observers expect that any potential internal conflict would not be peaceful. Two years after Kim took power in December 2011, his uncle and advisor, Jang Song-thaek, was arrested on charges of “anti-party, anti-revolution, and factionalism,” and then executed by firing squad after a formal trial. Kim Jong Nam, the older half-brother, was also assassinated at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017 using a nerve agent, years after he was exiled to Macau.
Go-Ai has appeared alongside her father on numerous occasions, including new ballistic missile launches and diplomatic events, including a military parade in Beijing last September to commemorate Japan’s defeat in World War II.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said it relied on a “range of circumstances” when assessing that Jo-ae had been selected as a potential heir apparent, most notably her increased public presence at official events. The prospect of her participation in the ruling party congress scheduled for later this month, North Korea’s largest political event held every five years, is expected to attract attention.
This intense presence coincides with growing speculation about the reasons that prompted Kim, 42, to consider early appointing a successor, amid rumors that he was suffering from health problems. Previous Western reports mentioned that he was addicted to alcohol and smoking, and that he suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure, while his weight was estimated at about 140 kilograms. His father, Kim Jong Il, suffered from similar illnesses and died of a heart attack at the age of 70.
Last December, a report published by the Stimson Center’s “38 North” website warned of possible “unrest” in the event of Kim’s sudden death, indicating “a high possibility of a power struggle erupting” between the candidates to succeed him. The report concluded that the most politically established figures, such as Kim Yo Jong, would be the most fortunate in the event of the current leader’s sudden death or deterioration in his health in the near term.
