Many observers believe North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has decided his daughter Kim Ju-ae will succeed him as the fourth-generation leader of the dynasty, but dissenting voices say the country's deeply ingrained patriarchal nature could block her path to power.
At a recent Workers' party congress, Kim Jong-un suggested that North Korea and the US 'could get along' if Washington recognised the North as a legitimate nuclear power. However, for many North Korea watchers, the congress was a rare opportunity to speculate over the identity of the country's future leader.
Mitch Shin, who covers the Korean peninsula for the Diplomat, wrote that the 'most immediate and insurmountable barricade for Kim Ju-ae is the deeply ingrained patriarchal nature of North Korea', adding that the country functions 'more as a Neo-Confucian monarchy' than a socialist state. Shin said there is little to suggest that ageing generals would accept a woman as 'supreme leader'.
Other experts argue that the patriarchy is superseded by the non-negotiable principle that a successor must be a direct-line descendant of the Mount Paektu bloodline. Shreyas Reddy, a correspondent for NK News, cast doubt on Kim Ju-ae's future role, describing her prominence as 'more performative than political'.
Despite her increased visibility, North Korean state media have never published her name, referring to her only as the leader's 'respected' or 'most beloved' child. South Korea's national intelligence service claimed this month that Kim Jong-un was close to naming her as the country's future leader.
Lee Sung-Yoon, a principal fellow at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, said Kim Jong-un has 'already established beyond a reasonable doubt that he is grooming his teenage daughter as his successor', pointing to her presence alongside her father at dozens of official events.
