In a surprising development reported by South Korean media on Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has appointed his teenage daughter to a significant leadership position within the regime’s influential “Missile Administration.” This organization is responsible for overseeing North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.
Kim’s daughter, Ju Ae, is estimated to be around 13 or 14 years old. According to assessments from South Korean intelligence, she is acting in the capacity of a “missile general director” amidst ongoing events at the Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party. This information was reportedly gathered from intelligence updates received on Sunday.
The Chosun Daily, drawing on insights from high-level government sources, indicated that intelligence agencies have documented Ju Ae’s promotion to this notable role.
Despite Jang Chang-ha being officially recognized as the director of the Missile Administration, intelligence reports suggest that Kim’s daughter is actively involved, receiving briefings from military generals and issuing commands.
A recent image from the Korean Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with his daughter, Ju Ae, participating in a ceremony on Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service has disclosed to lawmakers that Ju Ae’s growing public presence might suggest she is being groomed as a potential successor. The agency noted instances where she has been seen contributing opinions on policy matters, according to a report by The Associated Press.
The teen has appeared alongside her father at high-profile military events, including intercontinental ballistic missile launches and weapons inspections.
North Korean state media first confirmed her existence in November 2022, and described her only as a “beloved child” when she accompanied Kim at the launch of the Hwasong-17 ICBM.
Her name has never been officially disclosed by Pyongyang.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter, Ju Ae, celebrate the New Year, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (KCNA via Reuters)
Her reported role comes as Kim continues to showcase advances in the country’s weapons programs.
On Feb. 18, Kim was photographed taking the wheel of a nuclear-capable 600mm multiple rocket launcher in Pyongyang, touting it as among the most powerful of its kind.
State media showed rows of launch vehicles and said the rockets, which Kim claimed rival short-range ballistic missiles and use artificial intelligence in their guidance systems, have “completely changed” modern artillery warfare, Reuters reported.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Kim was re-elected general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea on Feb.22, a decision announced by state-run media following the party’s Ninth Congress.
North Korea has suspended all meaningful diplomacy with the United States and South Korea since the collapse of a 2019 summit between Kim and President Donald Trump.
This came over disagreements about sanctions relief in exchange for steps to wind down Kim’s nuclear and missile program.
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