Seoul, Sep 11 (EFE).- The daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s recent appearance in Beijing seems to have cemented her status as the most likely to succeed him, Seoul said on Thursday.
Kim was in Beijing for 80th anniversary celebrations of Japan’s defeat in World War II, where he met with President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
The presence in Beijing of Kim Ju-ae, about 12 years old, helped establish the revolutionary narrative needed to solidify her position as a likely successor, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said during a closed-door parliamentary appearance.
Although Ju-ae, whose name has not been officially confirmed, remained in the North Korean embassy for most of the visit and avoided cameras on the return train, her mere participation would have served to reinforce the idea of dynastic continuity, according to the NIS.
Asked whether Kim has any other children who could be considered a potential successor, the NIS noted speculations that another child might have a disability or is studying abroad, but said it was unlikely, according to the lawmakers cited by the local news agency Yonhap.
Health of the leader
Regarding the North Korean leader’s health, the spy agency said that he did not present any issues beyond symptoms related to his obesity, such as excessive sweating or fatigue when climbing stairs.
The NIS noted that Pyongyang took additional measures to minimize any exposure of biological information about Kim and his daughter, even going so far as to transport materials and waste generated during the visit under strict control.
Symbolic victory
South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said last week that the image of Kim flanked by the presidents of China and Russia during the military parade in Beijing represented a huge diplomatic success in symbolic terms.
However, the NIS noted that Kim showed signs of nerves and inexperience in his debut in multilateral diplomacy, such as when he entered the military parade before Xi and imitated Putin’s behavior during the meeting.
Unlike Beijing, Pyongyang avoided publicly disclosing the economic commitments reached during the summit with Xi, which could be an indication that North Korean demands for expanded economic exchanges had not received a full response from China, according to the agency.
In the case of Russia, the report noted that, although Kim expressed his intention to extend the bilateral alliance, Putin stopped short of openly supporting this long-term idea. EFE
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