North Korean leader's daughter was called by the wrong name?

Choe Su-yong, a former official of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), recently revealed that the media is using the wrong name when referring to Kim Jong-un's daughter, according to The Korea Times.

"Ju-ae is a misnomer. Her name is Eun-ju, not Ju-ae," the newspaper quoted Mr. Choe as saying in a report on November 16.

Kim Jong-un stands next to his daughter during a military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea, in February.

Information about the private lives of North Korean leaders is often kept a secret in the country. Kim's daughter is often referred to in North Korean state media as "precious child" or "beloved child" without being named. However, since her first public appearance, South Korean and Western media have reported that she is Kim's second child, named "Ju-ae".

According to Choe, retired American basketball star Dennis Rodman is the source of the “unconfirmed truth” about Kim’s daughter. The former athlete has visited North Korea several times – most recently in 2017 – and met with leader Kim.

"I heard that Kim introduced his daughter to Rodman when he was in North Korea, saying in Korean that 'jeo-ae' (that girl) was his daughter. Rodman seemed to have misunderstood the Korean word 'jeo-ae' as her name," Choe said, citing information he gathered from sources in North Korea.

"Rodman told the media that Kim's daughter's name was 'Ju-ae' and she has been called that ever since," Choe analyzed.

Mr. Choe, who worked in the NIS counterintelligence division for two decades before retiring in 2010, declined to share specifics about his contacts in North Korea, saying he did not want to risk their lives.

The Korea Times contacted Mr. Rodman via email to verify what Mr. Choe revealed, but the American sports star has not responded.

In an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian , published in September 2013, Mr. Rodman shared about meeting Mr. Kim and the North Korean leader's family. The American basketball legend said he had eaten many times with Mr. Kim and his family.

"I held their daughter Ju-ae and spoke to Ri (Ms. Ri Sol-ju, Mr. Kim's wife). He is a good father and has a happy family," Mr. Rodman said.

Kim Jong-un and Dennis Rodman watch basketball in Pyongyang in March 2013.

The NIS told The Korea Times that it could not share any further information with the media about Kim's daughter.

South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Koo Byung-sam said the ministry had no authority to confirm information about the North Korean leader's daughter.

"The girl's name was revealed to be Ju-ae after American sports star Dennis Rodman revealed her name in the media. There is no other information the Unification Ministry can share about her name," The Korea Times quoted Mr. Koo as saying.

After Kim’s daughter’s first public appearance in November last year, the NIS confirmed that her name was Ju-ae and that she was Kim’s second child. According to South Korea’s spy agency, Kim and Ri married in 2009 and have three children: the first born in 2010, the second in 2013 and the third in 2017.

However, Mr. Choe doubted the accuracy of the information, saying that according to what he gathered from his sources in North Korea, Mr. Kim Jong-un had 4 children, not 3 as confirmed by the NIS.

Pyongyang did not immediately comment on the reports.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/con-gai-lanh-dao-trieu-tien-da-bi-goi-nham-ten-18523111711232329.htm