Kwon Young-se "Kim Joo-ae Successor Theory is a Grey Zone... Nuclear Test is a Fortune Teller's Domain"

"North Korea May Aim for Normal Angle ICBM Launch"
7th Nuclear Test... Prepared but Timing Remains Uncertain

Unification Minister Kwon Young-se dismissed the speculation about Kim Ju-ae, daughter of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, as a "gray zone." The term gray zone refers to an area whose classification is unclear, indicating that while the possibility is left open, it is still premature to consider her as a successor. Regarding North Korea's 7th nuclear test, he explained that "there are no signs that it is imminent."

On the 27th, Minister Kwon said on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show," "Even if North Korea starts forming a succession structure now, there remains doubt whether this woman (Kim Ju-ae) can lead the North Korean regime, which is centered around the military," and "It is clear that they intend to firmly establish the 4th generation succession, but whether Kim Ju-ae is the person involved in the 4th generation succession is something we should continue to observe."

Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se [Photo by Yonhap News]

When the host suggested the outlook was divided between "not a successor" and "not yet, but open as a candidate," Minister Kwon responded, "It seems appropriate to place it in the zone that says the possibility is open," adding, "If the Baekdu bloodline only has a female, then the story might be a bit different." Kim Ju-ae attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new street construction in the Sopo District of Pyongyang on the 25th alongside Kim Jong-un. This was her seventh official public appearance since first appearing at the test launch site of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-17 in November last year.

Regarding whether Kim Jong-un has a first son, Minister Kwon said, "There have been circumstantial indications to speculate, but nothing that can be confirmed with certainty," and explained, "What can be said now is that there is one daughter (Kim Ju-ae) and one more child below her, but the gender is unknown, and whether there is a son above them is currently unverifiable." When asked about rumors that there is a son but he is small in stature or has health issues, he drew a line by saying, "As far as I know, it has not been confirmed."

Regarding North Korea's recent launch of the ICBM Hwasong-15, he said, "They cannot claim that reentry technology has been perfected based on the high-angle launch," emphasizing that North Korea has not yet secured reentry technology. However, he presented the prospect that North Korea might attempt a normal-angle launch in the future, saying, "North Korea could turn the ICBM’s range (over 13,000 km) toward the Pacific and drop it somewhere."

Additionally, Minister Kwon said that the possibility of North Korea conducting a 7th nuclear test remains open. However, he expressed that it is difficult to specify the timing. He emphasized, "North Korea is continuously maintaining the 3rd and 4th tunnels at Punggye-ri in a well-prepared state," and added, "Rather than it being a show, I think there is a real possibility, so it is much more necessary to prepare." Regarding the timing of the nuclear test, he said, "That is the realm of fortune-tellers," and stated, "Currently, there are no signs that it is imminent."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.