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Kim Jong-un’s daughter Ju-ae loves horses, skiing: South Korean spies to parliament

  • Kim Ju-ae is being home-schooled in Pyongyang and is ‘very good at horseback riding’ which pleases her father, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers
  • The agency said her unveiling in November appeared intended to underscore the importance of another hereditary power succession for North Korea

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Kim Jue-ae watch a sporting event in Pyongyang last month. Photo: North Korean Central News Agency via EPA-EFE
The recently unveiled daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is being home-schooled and spends her leisure time horseback riding, skiing and swimming, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers.
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Kim has brought his daughter to a series of public events since November, including a missile launch site, sparking intense outside debate over whether the girl, reportedly named Kim Ju-ae and about 10 years old, is being primed as his successor.

The South Korean government has assessed that Kim, 39, hasn’t anointed her as his heir. But it says he likely aims to use his daughter’s appearances as a way to show his people that one of his children would one day inherit his power in what would be the country’s third hereditary power transfer.

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Kim Jong-un’s daughter seen at military events, sparking succession speculation

Kim Jong-un’s daughter seen at military events, sparking succession speculation

In a closed-door parliamentary committee meeting on Tuesday, the National Intelligence Service maintained that assessment, saying Kim Jong-un is still too young and healthy to appoint his successor, according to Yoo Sang-bum, one of the lawmakers who attended the session.

The NIS said the daughter’s unveiling largely appeared intended to underscore the imperativeness of another hereditary power succession, Yoo told reporters.

Kim Ju-ae has never been enrolled at an official education facility and is being home-schooled in Pyongyang, Yoo said. He quoted the NIS as saying her hobbies are horseback riding, skiing and swimming.

The NIS said it has information that Kim Ju-ae is “very good at horseback riding” and that Kim Jong-un is satisfied with that, the lawmaker said.

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