North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter believed to have younger sibling, says Seoul

South Korea's spy agency reports Kim Jong Un's daughter, Kim Ju Ae, believed to have a younger sibling, is being groomed as his successor.

Kim Ju Ae was publicly introduced in 2022 and has been present at significant political events with her father.

North Korean media have lauded Kim Ju Ae, using titles reserved for top leaders and potential successors.

SEOUL, Sept 10 — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter and apparent successor is believed to have a younger sibling, South Korea’s spy agency said on Thursday, offering a more detailed view of the ruling family’s structure.

Seoul’s spy agency has previously said Kim is believed to have three children, but there has been uncertainty about their order of birth.

Kim’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, was first introduced to the public in 2022 when she accompanied her father to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Kim family has ruled North Korea with an iron grip for decades, and a cult of personality surrounding their “Paektu bloodline” dominates daily life in the diplomatically isolated country.

“The National Intelligence Service currently assesses that Kim Ju Ae is being groomed as the successor and understands she has a younger sibling of unknown gender,” the agency said in a statement.

The NIS added that it was continuing to verify whether Kim Ju Ae has an older brother, but believes that “even if he exists, he is not in a position to become the successor”.

Since 2022, Kim Ju Ae has appeared at a number of major political events with the North Korean leader, including a high-profile visit to Beijing.

North Korean state media have also referred to her as “the beloved child” and a “great person of guidance” — “hyangdo” in Korean — a term typically reserved for top leaders and their successors. — AFP

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韩国情报机构报告称，金正恩的女儿金珠爱（据信她还有一个弟弟）正在被培养成他的接班人。

金珠爱于2022年公开露面，并曾与父亲一同出席重要的政治活动。

朝鲜媒体对金柱爱大加赞扬，使用了只有最高领导人和潜在继任者才能享有的头衔。

首尔，9 月 10 日——韩国情报机构周四表示，朝鲜领导人金正恩的女儿兼明显继承人据信还有一个弟弟或妹妹，这番言论更详细地揭示了朝鲜统治家族的结构。

首尔情报机构此前曾表示，金某据信有三个孩子，但他们的出生顺序一直存在争议。

金正恩的女儿金珠爱于 2022 年首次公开亮相，当时她陪同父亲出席了洲际弹道导弹的发射仪式。

金氏家族对朝鲜实行铁腕统治数十年，围绕其“白头山血统”的个人崇拜主导着这个外交孤立的国家的日常生活。

“国家情报院目前评估认为，金珠爱正在被培养成接班人，并且了解到她有一个性别不明的弟弟妹妹，”该机构在一份声明中表示。

韩国国家情报院补充说，他们仍在核实金柱爱是否有哥哥，但认为“即使他存在，他也没有能力成为继承人”。

自 2022 年以来，金柱爱曾多次与朝鲜领导人一同出席重大政治活动，其中包括对北京的高调访问。

朝鲜官方媒体还称她为“受宠的孩子”和“伟大的导师”（韩语为“hyangdo”），这个称谓通常用于最高领导人及其继任者。——法新社

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