Seoul, April 6—North Korea appears to be accelerating efforts to position its leader, Kim Jong-un, daughter, Ju-ae, as his successor, according to South Korea's intelligence agency, which told lawmakers on Monday that this was based on recent public appearances, including one in which she was seen driving a new battle tank with her father.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) made this assessment during a closed-door briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee, according to Reps. Park Sun-won of the Democratic Party and Lee Seong-kweun of the People Power Party, reports Yonhap news agency.
"Ju-ae has recently appeared in defense-related sectors," the lawmakers quoted the NIS as saying. "This is assessed to be aimed at reducing skepticism surrounding a female successor and accelerating efforts to establish a succession narrative."
Last month, North Korean state media reported that Kim oversaw a drill featuring new battle tanks, releasing photos of his daughter, believed to be in her teens, driving one carrying her father and military personnel.
The NIS said the report appears to be aimed at emphasizing Ju-ae's military capabilities and as a tribute to Kim, who was also seen driving a tank in state media footage before he succeeded his father and former leader Kim Jong-il.
Ju-ae has been widely seen as a potential successor as she has increasingly appeared alongside her father at major domestic events. North Korea has been ruled by men of the Kim family over three generations for about eight decades.
The intelligence agency also separately assessed that the US-Israeli war against Iran could end in late April, based on the results of possible US strikes in the next three to four days.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday (US time) renewed his threats to destroy Iran's power plants and bridges if the Islamic Republic does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.