North Korea is reportedly intensifying its campaign to position Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Ju-ae, as his potential successor, as revealed by South Korea’s spy agency in a briefing to lawmakers. The National Intelligence Service highlighted Ju-ae’s recent public appearances in defense-related activities, aiming to dispel doubts about a female heir and hasten the narrative of succession. This move follows Ju-ae’s participation in a military drill where she was seen driving a new battle tank alongside her father, Kim Jong-un.
The assessment by the NIS suggests a deliberate effort to showcase Ju-ae’s military prowess and pay tribute to Kim’s leadership, drawing parallels to his own rise to power after driving a tank in state media coverage. With Ju-ae increasingly accompanying her father at significant national events, she is widely viewed as a potential heir in a country that has been governed by the Kim family for nearly eight decades across three generations. Additionally, the spy agency speculated separately that the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran might de-escalate by late April, based on potential US military actions in the coming days.
