PNN – South Korea’s National Intelligence Service announced that North Korea has entered the process of appointing Kim Jong-un’s daughter as the country’s leader’s successor.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service announced that North Korea appears to have entered the stage of designating Kim Jo-ae, the daughter of Kim Jong-un, as his successor.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the assessment was made during a closed-door meeting with the South Korean parliament’s intelligence committee, with representatives Park Soon-won and Lee Seong-kyun providing details to reporters.
According to the representatives, the National Intelligence Service cited indications of Kim Jo-ae expressing opinions on some government policies as one of the reasons for this new assessment.
Lee Seong-Kyun said: Given Kim Jo-ae’s presence at various events, including the anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army and her presence at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, as well as evidence of her commenting on some government policies, the National Intelligence Service believes that she has now entered the process of being designated as a successor.
He added that this new assessment is a step beyond the organization’s previous assessment, when Kim Joo-ae was said to be “training” for a successor, but is now in the “successor designation” stage.
The organization also announced that it would closely monitor developments related to her possible presence at the important congress of North Korea’s ruling party later this month.
In January 2024, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service first identified Kim Jo-ae, said to have been born in 2013, as the “most likely successor” to the North Korean leader.
In January of this year, she also appeared for the first time with her parents at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the tomb of the Kim family, a matter that increased speculation about her succession.
In another part of the report, the National Intelligence Organization announced regarding possible talks between the United States and North Korea that Pyongyang may respond positively to talks with Washington if certain conditions are met.
Also, according to the organization, North Korea has apparently refrained from firing intercontinental ballistic missiles to avoid provoking Trump, who is sensitive to missile tests.
The National Intelligence Service announced that about 10,000 North Korean combat troops and 1,000 engineering troops are currently stationed in the Kursk frontline area in Russia to support Russia in the war with Ukraine, and about 6,000 of its troops have been killed or wounded.
The organization added that despite suffering heavy casualties, the North Korean army has been able to acquire modern combat tactics and field data, as well as upgrade its weapons systems with Russian technical assistance.
Regarding inter-Korean relations, the National Intelligence Service said North Korea continues to insist on defining the two Koreas as “two warring states” and has recently ordered its officials and foreign missions to refrain from interacting with South Korea.