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South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) says Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, is likely being positioned as North Korea’s future leader.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has informed lawmakers that Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter is likely being positioned as North Korea’s future leader, signaling a potential extension of the Kim family dynasty into a fourth generation.
In a closed-door briefing, NIS officials said they are closely monitoring whether Kim’s daughter, believed to be Kim Ju Ae and around 13 years old, appears alongside her father at the upcoming Workers’ Party Congress, lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun told reporters.
“In the past, NIS described Kim Ju Ae as being in the midst of ‘successor training.’ What was notable today is that they used the term ‘successor-designate stage,’ a shift that's quite significant,” Lee said.
The party congress, North Korea’s biggest political conference in years, is expected to outline major policy goals for the next five years and provide Kim Jong Un a platform to consolidate his power further.
Growing public role
Kim Ju Ae first appeared in public during a long-range missile test in November 2022 and has increasingly accompanied her father to weapons tests, military parades, factory openings, and diplomatic trips, including his 2023 summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Her participation in a recent New Year’s Day visit to Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which houses the embalmed bodies of her grandfather and great-grandfather, was seen by experts as a strong indication of her status as heir.
Breaking tradition
Historically, North Korea has been led by male members of the Kim family since its founding in 1948. Kim Jong Un himself was named heir at age 26 following his father Kim Jong Il’s stroke. Analysts suggest that debuting his daughter early may reflect Kim Jong Un’s own experience of being rushed into power.
Limited information about the heir
North Korean state media have never published her name, referring only to her as Kim Jong Un’s “respected” or “most beloved” child. South Korean officials estimate she was born in 2013. She reportedly has an older brother and a younger third sibling, whose gender remains unknown.
“Her growing presence at high-profile military events and family visits, along with indications that Kim Jong Un is seeking her input on certain policy matters, shows the seriousness of succession planning,” Lee Seong Kweun said.
What to watch at the party Congress
The upcoming Workers’ Party Congress, last held in 2016 and 2021, could serve as a platform to formalize succession. Analysts say her elevation might not be immediate or public due to party rules requiring members to be at least 18 for senior posts.
“The party may issue statements about how North Korea has successfully maintained leadership succession. If comments like that appear, it would be reasonable to think Ju Ae has been cemented as heir,” Koh added.
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