North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has delegated oversight of the country’s nuclear forces to his 13-year-old daughter, Kim Ju Ae, according to South Korean intelligence. The claim is reported by The Chosun Daily, citing sources within South Korea’s security services.
According to intelligence assessments, Kim Ju Ae holds a position described as North Korea’s “director-general of the missile program.” In that capacity, she attended the Workers’ Party of Korea congress held in February. Sources say the leader’s daughter receives briefings from senior military generals and conveys instructions in return.
The newspaper notes that Kim Ju Ae regularly appears alongside her father at public events, including visits to military facilities and missile tests. Sources at The Chosun Daily within South Korea’s intelligence community believe she is being deliberately groomed as Kim Jong Un’s successor. Intelligence officials have already recorded instances in which she articulated her own views on specific political issues.
North Korea’s authorities have traditionally been extremely reticent about disclosing information on the leader’s family. According to available data, Kim Jong Un has two other sons, including Kim Ju Ae’s elder brother, Kim Jong Ju, who was born in 2010.