The ‘extraordinary’ rise of Kim Jong Un’s daughter, who’s tipped to be North Korea’s next leader

She may be 13.

Her name might be Kim Ju Ae.

But we don’t know for sure.

What we do know is she is increasingly appearing in public alongside her father — North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

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The two have been photographed sporting matching leather jackets as they watch military parades, shoot handguns, and drive tanks.

The photos are showcasing more than just father-daughter time; they are seen as a sign that Kim Ju Ae could be next in line to lead the hermit kingdom.

“It’s extraordinary,” said Dr Bong Young-shik a research fellow at Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies.

He said the fact a teenage girl is “rising so rapidly as an heir apparent” is “surprising” and posed several questions about the apparent urgency of the move, along with the existence — or otherwise — of Kim Jong Un’s supposed son.

South Korea’s spy agency this week revealed it had “credible intelligence” to believe Kim Ju Ae was being positioned as his heir.

Kim Ju Ae’s seeming ascension comes at a critical time, amidst global uncertainty and concerns about regional security in the Indo-Pacific.

US President Donald Trump is reportedly keen to meet with Kim Jong Un, and North Korea is digging in on its armaments and nuclear capability.

Meanwhile, the United States has been shifting military assets out of Asia to beef up its arsenal in the Middle East — leaving people in the region wondering if it could embolden North Korea.

The mysterious girl who could lead the world’s most isolated kingdom

Confirmed information about Kim Ju Ae is scarce.

The world only found out she existed when US basketballer Dennis Rodman, who visited North Korea in 2013, confirmed she had been born.

Observers had noticed Kim’s wife Ri Sol Ju looked pregnant in photos but Rodman was the first independent source to confirm it, telling the Sun newspaper: “She [Ri] kept talking about their beautiful baby daughter.”

Rodman was also the first person to reveal her name.

“The Marshal Kim and I had a relaxing time by the sea with his family,” Rodman told the Guardian in 2013, perhaps not realising how significant his comments would become.

“I held their baby Ju Ae and spoke with Ms Ri [Sol Ju, Kim’s wife] as well. He’s a good dad and has a beautiful family.”

There has been some speculation that could be a pet name, but it is the moniker that is now accepted and used for her.

Her age of 13 is also an approximation, based on guesses as to when she was born.

The mystery surrounding the Kim dynasty is not new — when Kim Jong Un first appeared in public he was mistakenly referred to as ‘Kim Jong-woon’, based on information from a chef who worked for his father.

“What do you expect from North Korea? [It’s] such an opaque, closed system,” Dr Bong mused.

Unlike her father, grandfather and aunt, Kim Ju Ae has had less exposure to the outside world.

While they all studied in European countries, she has remained inside North Korea.

Jaewoo Park, writing for the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, said “eyewitness accounts and intelligence reports suggest she is homeschooled in Pyongyang and practices horseback riding and skiing”.

He said, based on intelligence about the Kim family’s lifestyle, she is likely living in a luxury estate in the city and spending summers at a “seaside compound” with “lavish facilities”.

She has been seen wearing designer clothes, like Dior jackets, and eating fine foods.

He warns growing up in such a “gilded cage” could leave her “coddled, revered, and dangerously unchallenged”.

‘Absurd and crazy’: The early ascension

Dr Bong, who also serves a member of the advisory board for the Ministry of National Defence for South Korea, believes it’s likely Kim Ju Ae has been groomed for leadership for the past two or three years — noting it couldn’t have started much earlier.

“Let’s go back to her age, 13, so how early could this leadership training and grooming process have started? She should be able to walk and talk at least,” he joked.

Her young age, and the fact that Kim Jong Un is only 40, has led to speculation among North Korean watchers about why he has “basically nominate(d) his underage daughter as his successor”.

Dr Bong said it showed Jim Jong Un’s “determination to prevent any type of regime instability, in any case of emergency situations”.

That could include if he has been unwell recently.

Kim Jong Un has recently been observed panting and sweating after walking short distances, while South Korea’s intelligence agency has said he likely has insomnia and is dependent on both nicotine and alcohol.

His weight and family history of heart disease have also drawn attention.

Mr Park has compared Kim Ju Ae’s apparent rise to that of her father and grandfather.

“Kim Jong Il’s campaign was gradual and spanned over a decade, while Kim Jong Un’s was rapid — compressed into three years due to his father’s deteriorating health.”

Likely no role yet for Kim Ju Ae in any significant international discussions

In addition to the increasing public appearances, Kim Ju Ae has also reportedly been appointed “acting missile director”.

The title is largely being seen, similar to the staged photos, as a way of announcing her to the public.

Yet analysts do not believe she is wielding any real power yet.

While the missile director title is a “significant step” towards being named as Kim Jong Un’s successor, Dr Bong said her status is not “set in stone yet”.

He said when she is given a “military commander” title that would be a “concrete sign” that she has been “anointed” by her father.

Until then, things could still shift.

The succession drama comes as Kim Jong Un announced in a speech to parliament that expanding a “self-defensive nuclear deterrent” was essential to North Korea’s security and regional stability.

“The current world reality, where the dignity and rights of sovereign states are mercilessly violated by unilateral force and violence, clearly teaches what the true guarantee of a state’s existence and peace is,” he said last month, in what is being viewed as a comment on the Iran War.

Donald Trump is interested in meeting with Kim Jong Un, according to South Korea’s prime minister who met with the US president recently.

There has been speculation the war in Iran may reignite discussions between Washington and Pyongyang over its nuclear arsenal.

If any discussions are held, Dr Bong said there would be no place for Kim Ju Ae.

“It will be 100 per cent Kim Jong Un,” he said.

Kim Jong Un’s son ‘may not exist’

Despite her increasing appearances, Kim Ju Ae’s age is still preventing her from taking some of the necessary steps toward becoming a leader.

She appeared at a military parade after North Korea’s 9th Party congress, a significant political event, but she couldn’t participate in the congress because she is too young to join the party.

The minimum age is 18.

Her first step to gaining real political power will be becoming a member of the Worker’s Party of Korea, of which her father is general secretary.

While her age may currently be an issue, her gender may not be.

North Korea is very patriarchal, but Dr Bong said gender does not matter when it comes to the Kim family’s “royal bloodline”.

Some analysts have argued military commanders would struggle to accept a young woman as leader.

While noting the challenges a female leader could face, Mr Park said it would be possible and could add a “modern” appeal for younger North Koreans.

“If Kim Ju Ae rises as successor, she would become the world’s first female communist leader and add a new ‘refined’ image to the North Korean regime,” he said.

The main question raised by Kim Jong Un elevating his daughter is — what about his son?

It has long been believed he has an older son as well as a younger third child whose gender is unknown.

Neither child’s existence has been confirmed by North Korea’s leadership.

Dr Bong said the issue of his son has been debated “many times over” by North Korean experts.

Some argue elevating Kim Ju Ae could be a way of shielding his son — the real successor — from international eyes.

But Dr Bong believes it would be too late to anoint the “alleged son” after giving such exposure and so many promotions to Kim Ju Ae.

“The paradox of the rise of Kim Ju Ae is that is an indirect but important indication that the eldest son may not exist at all,” he said.

“Maybe the assertion that Kim Jong Un (has) a son is an intelligence failure by the South Korean government.”

Another question raised by the ascension of Kim Ju Ae is what that means for Kim Jong Un’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong.

Kim Yo Jong has long been viewed as the number two figure in North Korea, and another possible contender for the country’s future Supreme Leader.

But in another twist, South Korea’s spy agency this week said Kim Yo Jong has no independent power.

Dr Bong has long argued against the assertion that Kim Yo Jong would be a competitor to rule the kingdom.

“North Korea’s constitution stipulates that leadership is inherent, that means it is highly unlikely for the leadership to be shifted laterally,” he explained.

“Leadership only goes from one generation to the next generation. Father to child.”