North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter has appeared in public for the second time in a week, sparking speculation that she was raised to be her father’s successor.

State media in the country did not reveal the girl’s name or age, describing her only as the leader’s “most loved” or “precious” daughter.

North Korean state news agency KCNA reported on Sunday 27/11 that Kim and his daughter met with soldiers, scientists and others involved in the launch of the Hwasong-17 missile this month.

His most recent KCNA photos were undated, but he said Kim and her daughter stood before a crowd “full of boundless passion and happiness”, expressing “the greatest glory and ardent respect for him”.

Little is known about the young woman. For example, her name was never officially revealed, but her name is believed to be Kim Ju-ae.

What is known about Kim Jong-un’s daughter?

First mentioned in 2013

Kim Jong-un leads one of the countries that try the hardest to keep what happened to him a secret, and little is known about his private life.

In July 2012, North Korea confirmed that Ri Sol-ju was Kim’s wife, a month after she first appeared with him in public.

Since then, South Korean media have estimated that they have three children, two girls and a boy, of which Ju-ae is the eldest.

In September 2013, retired American basketball player Dennis Rodman, who was in North Korea for the “basketball diplomacy tour”, told the British newspaper The Guardian that “Kim has a daughter”.

“I held baby Ju-ae in my arms and talked to her. [a esposa de Kim] Moreover. He’s a good father and he has a nice family,” Rodman told the newspaper.

At the time, however, there was no official response or confirmation from North Korea to Rodman’s comments.

First appearance in 2022

On November 19, 2022, KCNA released several photos of the father and daughter for the first time, confirming long-standing rumors of their existence.

State media reported that they met with officials, inspected the missiles, and watched the intercontinental ballistic missile launch from an observation deck the day before.

However, the report did not include any details about the girl’s name or age.

Michael Madden, a North Korea expert at the Stimson Center in Washington (USA), points out that he will be between 12 and 13 years old.

For Madden, the young woman’s public appearance may be Kim Jong-un’s message that the “fourth generation in power will be descended from my (blood)”.

“The disclosure of Kim Jong-un’s daughter concerns analysts in North Korea more than the news that the country has successfully launched its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile,” said Jean Mackenzie, BBC’s Seoul correspondent.

“Does this mean that he has been chosen as Kim Jong-un’s successor and will one day rule North Korea?”

Second appearance in 2022

Just a week after the first photos of the father and daughter were released, KCNA released another photo of the two on Sunday.

Again, no mention of his age or name. This time, however, she was described as the leader’s “most loved” or “precious” daughter.

“This is absolutely impressive. The photo of Kim Ju-ae standing next to her father as she is celebrated by the technicians and scientists involved in the latest ICBM launch supports the idea that this is the beginning of her positioning as a potential successor.” Ankit Panda, an expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told NBC:

But some analysts warn that it is too early to say whether he will be his successor.

Chun Su-jin, a South Korean author of a book on North Korean female leaders, said in an interview with Reuters that North Korean elites are unlikely to accept Kim’s daughter as ruler.

“The country is not ready for a leader of the other sex” [uma mulher]”, said.”[Kim] He’s trying to show that he’s a loving father, not just a ruthless missile-throwing dictator.”

“Gender is still important to being a leader in North Korea,” says Hyun In-ae, a North Korean defector who now works at the Ewha Institute for Unification Studies in Seoul, South Korea.

Already today, there is a woman in the North Korean regime that has caught the world’s attention for several years: Kim’s sister, Kim Yo-jong.

Kim Yo-jong: Strong Brother

When rumors and speculations surfaced about Kim Jong-un’s health in 2020, his sister Kim Yo-jong was seen as a possible replacement to take over the family dynasty until one of Kim’s children was old enough.

Kim Yo-jong has been holding a senior position in the regime for some time. Recently, he made threats against South Korea due to the sanctions imposed on North Korea.

But it’s clear that the appearance of Kim Jong-un’s daughter raises more question marks in the world, says Jean Mackenzie of the BBC.

“Why are you explaining it now? He is still very young. If he is preparing him to take over, could that mean that the 38-year-old leader has health problems? His health is a matter of much speculation because it seems to be the biggest health concern. Risk to the stability of the regime.”

– This text was published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-63786690.