NIS Says Kim Ju Ae Has Been Designated as Fourth-Generation Successor; North Korea–U.S. Dialogue Possible If Conditions Met

According to Financial News, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has for the first time assessed that Kim Ju Ae, the eldest daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, is likely to carry on the regime’s fourth-generation hereditary succession. Rumors that Kim Ju Ae had been tapped as successor have circulated among North Korea watchers, but the South Korean government had previously refrained from making an official judgment.
Whether Kim Ju Ae has in fact been designated as heir is expected to become clearer at the 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, North Korea’s biggest political event, scheduled for later this month.
Lee Sung-kwon, a lawmaker from the People Power Party who serves as secretary of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, told reporters at a briefing at the National Assembly on the 12th, "The NIS has detected indications that Kim Ju Ae has been expressing opinions on certain policy measures, while her presence has continued to be highlighted at events such as the recent Air Force Day ceremony and the visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun."
Lee added, "Taking all these factors into account, the NIS judges that North Korea has entered the stage of internally designating Kim Ju Ae as successor," and went on, "During the upcoming party congress and related events, the agency plans to closely monitor whether she attends, the level of protocol accorded to her, the use of symbolic language and her real name, and any signs in the party rules that might hint at a succession arrangement."
At the same time, observers are cautiously raising the possibility of a North Korea–United States summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission. When Trump visited South Korea late last October to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, North Korea–United States dialogue was discussed but ultimately did not materialize.
Trump is planning a U.S.-China summit with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China in April. Some have suggested that a North Korea–United States summit could take place during his trip to China. The NIS assessed that if conditions between Washington and Pyongyang are met, Kim could respond positively to North Korea–United States dialogue. Trump has consistently demanded the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
North Korea, on the other hand, has continued to demand that the United States lift economic sanctions while refusing to abandon its nuclear weapons. The two sides have found it difficult to narrow their differences. As a compromise, President Lee Jae-myung recently proposed a nuclear arms reduction negotiation framework.

rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter