North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's daughter Ju-ae appears to be next in line to succeed her father, South Korea's spy chief told lawmakers Monday, in the agency's most definitive assessment yet of the teenager as a successor.
National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Lee Jong-seok made the remarks during a closed-door briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee, according to Reps. Park Sun-won of the Democratic Party and Lee Seong-kweun of the People Power Party.
"(She) can be seen as the successor," the NIS director was quoted as saying when asked about Ju-ae's status. "This is not a judgement based on mere signs but on credible intelligence."
Kim's daughter has recently been prominently featured in state media reports, including one of her driving a battle tank with her father.
"Ju-ae has recently made appearances in defense-related sectors," the lawmakers quoted the NIS as saying. "This is assessed to be aimed at diluting skepticism around a female successor and accelerating efforts to build a succession narrative."
