A battle between Kim Jong Un’s sister and daughter to rule North Korea could see a member of the family being executed, experts believe. Last week, South Korea’s spy agency told the country’s parliament that it believes Kim Ju Ae, Kim Jong Un’s young teenage daughter, is close to being designated as the country’s future leader as he moves to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation. But those plans could be thwarted by his ambitious sister Kim Yo Jong, who is believed to be planning to seize control for herself should the dictator die or become incapacitated.
The 38-year-old, who helps lead the propaganda department of the country’s ruling party, is well-respected within political and military ranks and is widely seen as the most powerful person in North Korea after her brother. She was also rumoured to have taken on decision-making for Kim Jong Un while he was ill in 2020. Her years of experience and stockpile of political capital within North Korea meant that, for a long time, she was considered the de facto successor to Kim Jong Un. But with Ju Ae making more and more appearances in public, as her father did in the run-up to being named Kim Jong Il’s successor, it has been speculated that she may soon be named heir.
