Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Ju-ae, is being groomed to succeed her father, though the selection is not final and he could ultimately choose someone else, two lawmakers quoted South Korea’s spy agency as saying Monday.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) made the report to the parliamentary intelligence committee, saying North Korea has suggested Ju-ae is a strong candidate to succeed her father by adjusting the frequency of her public appearances to gauge public sentiment, Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the ruling People Power Party and Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party said during a press briefing.
The NIS said it determined that Ju-ae is being groomed as Kim’s successor by studying the appellations North Korea uses to refer to her, how frequently she has appeared in public and at which events, according to the lawmakers, reported Yonhap news agency.
The NIS said in the past, around 60 percent of Ju-ae’s public activities involved accompanying her father to military events with some others economy-related, but North Korea’s use of the word “hyangdo,” which translates as “guide,” in reference to her suggested she was on the path to becoming the next leader.
The word “hyangdo” means to light the path forward in a revolutionary fight and is used for leaders or their successors, Lee explained.
Still, the NIS said it does not rule out the possibility Kim will choose someone else as his next-in-line, given his other children could step forward or that North Korea has not finalized who the successor will be.
Meanwhile, the North Korean leader appears to have health issues, weighing 140 kilograms and at high risk of heart disease, likely due to stress, smoking and drinking, the NIS was quoted as saying.
Kim is believed to have shown systems of high blood pressure and diabetes since his early 30s, it said. The NIS further reported signs Kim is looking for alternative medicinal substances, leading to speculation he could have conditions that are difficult to deal with using his current medicine.
On the pace of Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development, the NIS counted a total of 48 missiles being launched on 14 occasions this year, according to Lee, reported Yonhap.
The spy agency also reported a total of some 3,600 trash-filled balloons launched toward South Korea this year, which the North has claimed is retaliation for South Korean activists sending propaganda leaflets across the border. (IANS)
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