(Adnkronos) – Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, believed to be around 13 years old, would already hold a military leadership role. This is according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (Nis), which states that Kim’s ‘beloved’ daughter has been entrusted with the strategic role of director-general of North Korea’s missile unit. The teenager has reportedly already begun receiving military reports, participating in briefings with high-ranking officials, and providing policy guidance, according to the South Korean newspaper ‘Chosun Daily’ citing government and intelligence sources. Formally, the General Missile Bureau remains led by General Jang Chang Ha, but Kim Ju Ae would be receiving reports from generals and even issuing orders.
Earlier this month, the Nis announced that Kim Ju Ae had entered what was described as a ‘designated successor phase.’ The young woman has been regularly seen alongside her father at important military parades, weapons tests, celebrations, and high-profile construction projects since her first public appearance in November 2022. Last year, she also accompanied her father on a high-profile trip to China. North Korean state media has never published her name, referring to her as Kim’s “respected” or “beloved” daughter. The belief that her name is Kim Ju Ae is based on an account by former NBA champion Dennis Rodman, who recalls holding the North Korean leader’s infant daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013.
