South Korean intelligence names Kim Jong-un's successor
The candidate for the post of director of the National Intelligence Service (NRS) of the Republic of Korea, Cho Tae-yong, believes that his daughter Kim Ju E is being prepared as the heir of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. This was reported on Thursday, January 4, by the Yonhap agency.
“Based on an analysis of her public appearances and the level of respect she receives at public events, Kim Joo-ae appears to be the most likely heir,” Cho Tae-yong said.
As noted in the material, this is the first statement for South Korean intelligence assessing the role of Kim Ju E. Before this, they considered it premature to believe that Kim Jong-un’s daughter would become his heir.
According to the agency, Kim Joo-ae was born in 2013. She made her first public appearance on November 18, 2022, while attending the test of the new Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile with Kim Jong-un. At the same time, according to South Korean intelligence, Kim Jong-un has another child, whose gender is unknown.
Earlier, on December 31, the South Korean Ministry of Defense warned of the “end of the regime” of Kim Jong-un if he decides to use nuclear weapons against Seoul. In this way, the military department responded to the North Korean leader’s statements about his intentions to expand the country’s nuclear and missile arsenal and launch three more reconnaissance satellites in 2024.
At the same time, Reuters, citing a report following a meeting chaired by the DPRK leader, reported his plans to launch three reconnaissance satellites.
Kim Jong-un also said that he no longer considers the Republic of Korea a suitable partner for negotiations on the unification of the Korean Peninsula. He declared that the relationship between the North and the South is no longer that of fellow tribesmen, but has completely become that of two hostile states at war.
