South Korea on Wednesday mentioned that it’s nonetheless untimely to find out whether or not the just lately unveiled daughter of North Korean chief Kim Jong Un is being groomed as her father’s successor.

Hypothesis in regards to the standing of Kim’s daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and aged about 10, has additional intensified since she just lately took middle stage at an enormous army parade in Pyongyang and appeared in soon-to-be-released postal stamps — each occasions together with her omnipotent father.

Throughout a parliamentary committee assembly in Seoul, Unification Minister Kwon Youngse, South Korea’s prime official on North Korea, questioned a perception that she’s being primed because the North’s subsequent chief. Kwon cited Kim Jong Un’s comparatively younger age – Kim turned to 39 final month – and North Korea’s male-dominated energy hierarchy.

“There are views that (her appearances) are aimed toward speaking a couple of hereditary energy transition. However contemplating Kim Jong Un’s age and the truth that North Korea has a way more patriarchal nature than ours, there are additionally a number of questions on whether or not North Korea having a lady (ready to) inherit energy now’s certainly proper,” Kwon advised lawmakers.

Kwon mentioned the woman’s repeated appearances in latest months had been extra probably meant to shore up public help of Kim’s ruling household and put together for a future hereditary energy switch.

South Korean media have speculated Kim Jong Un additionally has a son who’s older than Kim Ju Ae and a 3rd little one, probably a daughter. However Kwon mentioned solely Kim Ju Ae is her father’s formally confirmed little one.

Learn extra: North Korea seen launching new army unit tasked with ballistic missiles

North Korea disclosed Kim Ju Ae in November by asserting she watched an intercontinental ballistic missile take a look at together with her father. She’s since made 4 different public appearances, together with final week’s army parade.

State media have referred to as her Kim’s “most beloved” or “revered” little one and revealed a slew of images and video exhibiting her closeness together with her father. She was seen touching Kim’s cheek at an commentary stand for the army parade and sitting within the seat of honor at an earlier banquet whereas being flanked by her dad and mom and generals, in what observers say had been unimaginable in North Korea as a result of Kim is the topic of a persona cult that treats him like a god.

Designs launched by North Korea’s state-run Korea Stamp Company earlier this week additionally present Kim Ju Ae being featured in 5 of eight new stamps which might be set to be circulated from Friday to rejoice the November flight take a look at of the Hwasong-17 ICBM, an occasion she attended. The stamps carried beforehand publicised pictures exhibiting the woman holding her father’s hand as they walked close to the missile and posing for images together with her father in entrance of a wall of clapping troopers days after the Hwasong-17 launch.