Who is Kim Ju Ae? Kim Jong Un’s daughter likely to be North Korea’s next supreme leader, she made her first public trip in…

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took his teenage daughter with him to Beijing this week, marking her first public trip abroad. The visit has added to speculation that she might be the next in line to lead the nuclear-armed nation. North Korea has never officially shared her name or age, but South Korean intelligence believes she is the daughter known as Ju Ae, a name first mentioned by former U.S. basketball player Dennis Rodman, who spent time with Kim’s family in 2013 and said he held her as a baby.

Kim Ju Ae was first seen in public in November 2022, when she attended a missile test launch with her father. Since then, she has been spotted at military parades, state events, and diplomatic meetings, though North Korea has never released more information about her.

Reports suggest that Kim Ju Ae could be the most likely successor to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. According to the BBC, she is believed to be the second child of Kim and his wife, Ri Sol-Ju, out of their three children.

Because North Korea keeps family details secret, very little is confirmed. Analysts believe Kim Ju Ae is around 12 or 13 years old. In 2023, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) estimated her age to be about 10, while other reports suggested she may have been born in 2012.

South Korean intelligence believes Kim Ju Ae is being prepared to take over as North Korea’s next leader. Her frequent public appearances with top officials seem to support this idea, though nothing has been officially confirmed.

According to The New York Times, North Korea expert Cheong Seong-chang from the Sejong Institute said that the scene at the Beijing railway station showed she is being treated as the second-most important person in the country, both at home and abroad.

“By taking her to China, Kim Jong Un is sending a strong message to the world that she will be his successor,” Cheong explained.

However, some experts believe her chances are slim, as North Korea has never had a female leader, and cultural and political barriers might make such a transition difficult.

The Kim family has ruled North Korea since 1948, presenting themselves as a sacred bloodline destined to lead.