South Korean officials confirm Kim Jong Un has three kids

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has at least three children, South Korea’s spy officials told Seoul lawmakers Tuesday, just months after the supreme leader unveiled his daughter to the world — as speculation swirls about the line of succession in the secretive Communist state.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a closed-door parliamentary committee meeting that the tyrant’s “beloved” 9-year-old daughter, Kim Ju Ae, also has an older brother and another sibling whose gender cannot be confirmed, according to politicians Youn Kun Young and Yoo Sang Bum, who were in the room.

Yoo told reporters that the intelligence has confirmed the existence of Kim’s eldest son for the first time and debunked reports that North Koreans were forbidden from giving their children the same name as the leader’s daughter. The parliamentarian added that NIS could not confirm reports that the oldest boy has mental or physical issues.

“Kim Ju Ae appears to be homeschooled in Pyongyang and her hobbies include horseback riding, swimming, and skiing,” Yoo also said. “In particular, there is information that Kim Jong Un is quite satisfied with her excellent horseback riding skills.”

The intelligence appears to confirm prior reports that Kim’s daughter lived with her two siblings in an impressive seaside estate in Wonsan in the province of Kanwon, which houses swimming pools, tennis courts, soccer fields, waterslides and a sports stadium not far from picturesque beaches by the Sea of Japan.

Retired NBA star Dennis Rodman first informed the world of Kim Ju Ae’s existence after meeting the infant during a “relaxing” visit with the North Korean strongman in 2013.

The news also furthers speculation about the ruling family’s succession plans after Kim’s daughter toured a nuclear-capable missile launch facility during an exercise late last year. North Korea’s ruler, 39, watched the new intercontinental ballistic missile launch at Pyongyang International Airport in November 2022, along with his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and other state officials.

One of the South Korean lawmakers who spoke with reporters on Tuesday said North Korea may conduct further missile tests and military drills in the coming months.

A family power struggle has also emerged as Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, has threatened the United States in recent weeks by vowing to turn the Pacific Ocean into North Korea’s personal “firing range” if the US and its allies don’t halt military exercises in the region.

US long-range supersonic bombers, along with South Korean and Japanese warplanes, made a show of force after another February missile test by North Korea.

Last month, Kim Ju Ae appeared again alongside her father at a banquet to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army, according to photos released by the state-backed Korean Central News Agency. The outlet described her as the “respected” and “beloved” daughter of the supreme leader.

“The intention behind the second-born Kim Ju Ae’s frequent appearance in public seems like an effort to imprint the legitimacy of the hereditary succession of the Kim bloodline,” Yoo told reporters.

The North Korean despot also remains healthy, according to the lawmaker, despite reports last year that Kim had “completely withered away” working on behalf of his people. The NIS reported in 2021 that the unusually large leader lost as much as 44 pounds in one year.

Meanwhile, Youn quoted the NIS — which has a spotty track record in reporting events in the North — as saying that it was difficult to estimate the exact number of North Koreans who have recently died in a worsening food shortage, though the toll apparently is not serious enough to threaten the North’s system.

Experts say the North’s food situation is the worst it has been under Kim’s 11-year rule, but maintain they see no signs of imminent famine or mass deaths. The NIS attributed the latest food problems to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pyongyang’s agricultural policy and an issue of grain distribution.