South Korean media reported on Monday that the leader of North Korea was having his oldest daughter officially trained to take over for him one day. 

What do know so far? 

Yonhap news agency, citing the National Intelligence Service, said Kim Ju Ae was receiving training after having been seen with her father on several public outings in the last few years.

The family of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is notoriously secretive, and little is known about his wife Ri Sol Ju and their three children, of which Kim Ju Ae is reportedly the middle.

Indeed, the name of the heir apparent is only known in the West from reports by American basketball player Dennis Rodman, who was allowed to visit Kim in 2013. Kim Ju Ae is believed to be 11 or 12 years old.

When has Kim Ju Ae been seen in public? 

Kim Jue Ae began accompanying her father to various public engagements in 2022, such as a tour of a missile factory and greeting troops.

Analysts believe her heightened public profile was either meant to silence rivalries inside Pyongyang or to present the Kim family in the style of a monarchy. Kim Jong Un has himself inherited his position as leader from his father Kim Jong Il, the son of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.

es/rc (Reuters, Yonhap)