South Korea’s spy agency says Kim Jong-un’s first child is a son

South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), says Kim Jong-un’s first child is a son. The news comes as Yoo Sang-beom, quoted what the NIS allegedly told him. Yoo is a member of the ruling People Power Party.

Yoo says despite the claims by the NIS, he says it doesn’t have detailed evidence of this claim.

“We do not have detailed evidence that his first child is a son. But we are convinced that the first child is certainly a son based on intelligence that has been shared with an external intelligence agency.”

Yoo says rumours that Jong-un’s first son has mental and physical issues have not been confirmed.

According to The Korea Times, the NIS also noted that it does not know the gender of Jong Un’s third child. Just last year, the world saw what is thought to be Kim’s second child, Ju-ae, a girl, for the first time in photos showing them attending the test-firing of an IBCM.

Ju-ae was shown accompanying Kim to various events and meetings, spurring talk that she may be next in line. The NIS later said it is in the process of verifying intelligence that Kim’s first child is a son.

According to the Korea Times, Yoo says Ju-ae has not appeared to enrol in any official academic organisation and may be getting homeschooled.

Her hobbies apparently include swimming, skiing, and horseback riding. Kim is especially satisfied with her horseback riding skills, according to Yoo.

In other news, Yun Kun-young, a representative of the main opposition Democratic Party, briefed the parliamentary intelligence committee and warned that North Korea is expected to conduct large-scale military exercises in March and April. He says it could include the firing of a newly developed solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile.

Yun says there are chances the North may deploy reconnaissance satellites in April as per Kim’s instruction. He went on to say that North Korea test-launching an IBCM to fly at a normal trajectory could not be ruled out, considering recent warnings issued by Jong-un’s sister.

On Tuesday, she warned that North Korea is ready to take “overwhelming” actions against military activities by the US and South Korea, as its rivals are staging joint military drills involving American strategic assets.

The NIS also reported that the North is about 800,000 tons short of rice annually, but the number of people starved to death is not at a level that poses a threat to the regime.

Meanwhile, the NIS says it hasn’t seen orders by the North forcing residents to change their names if they match his daughter’s, Ju-ae.