Defectors See Kim Jong Un’s Daughter as Possible Heir

Kim Jong Un’s frequent appearances with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, at military and state events have fueled speculation that she is being prepared to succeed him, though little is publicly known about her. A South Korean intelligence assessment reportedly considers her a likely heir. Defectors interviewed by news outlets said North Koreans have no meaningful role in choosing their leader and may accept another hereditary transfer, at least publicly, as they did the previous two successions. One defector, Kim Yumi, said fear of a fourth-generation dictatorship and harsh pandemic policies that damaged her family’s fishing business helped prompt her escape to South Korea. Any successor would inherit an impoverished, nuclear-armed country with extensive state surveillance and severe limits on political freedom.