SEOUL – Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, appears to be on an upward path to power, South Korea’s intelligence agency said Oct. 29.

Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, citing the National Intelligence Service (NIS), told reporters there were increasing signs that “Ju Ae’s status has clearly risen.”

As vice chairman of the National Assembly’s intelligence committee, he was briefed on North Korean affairs by the NIS.

The NIS said Mr. Kim’s pre-teen daughter was increasingly visible at Korean Workers’ Party events. He was often seen with his father, and official media only featured photos of the two of them.

In recent public appearances, he has been seen accompanying or aiding other powerful figures in the regime, such as Kim Yo-Jong, the sister of the North Korean leader. He was also seen speaking directly to the Russian ambassador to North Korea, Mr. Alexander Matsegora, in early October.

“His status seems to be well established,” said Mr. Park, who was deputy director of the NIS during the last Moon Jae In administration.

In January, the NIS recognized the younger Kim as a possible successor to his father for the first time. It has maintained a high profile since it first appeared in late 2022.

The NIS said it was trying to highlight itself while also supporting the North Korean leader’s daughter.

“Kim Jong-un wants to step out of the shadow of his two predecessors, his father Kim Jong-il and his grandfather Kim Il-sung. “He is intensifying his efforts to idolize himself,” the lawmaker said.

NIS also said the North Korean leader had increased high-tech security around him out of fear of assassination, according to Mr. Park. These measures include the deployment of network jamming vehicles and drone detection systems.

The lawmaker said Mr. Kim appeared in public more often this year compared to last year. He made 110 public appearances during the year; this is approximately 60 percent more than the previous year.

“NIS believes Kim Jong-un is making calculated moves around televised US presidential debates, such as his recent visit to a uranium enrichment facility last month,” he said.

On the possibility of North Korea timing a nuclear weapons test to influence the U.S. presidential election, the lawmaker said NIS thinks it is more likely that a seventh test (if it occurs) will be carried out after the election rather than before.

Other possible military provocations that North Korea could carry out include launching an intercontinental ballistic missile or a medium-range ballistic missile. KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK