South Korean Intelligence Assesses Kim Jong Un's Daughter as Approaching Successor Status
South Korea's National Intelligence Service has informed lawmakers that the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is nearing formal designation as the country's future leader. This assessment comes as Kim moves to extend his family's dynastic rule into a fourth generation, according to a closed-door briefing held on Thursday.
Monitoring Key Political Developments
The intelligence assessment coincides with North Korea's preparations for its largest political conference later this month. During this Workers' Party Congress, Kim Jong Un is expected to outline major policy objectives for the coming five years while further consolidating his authoritarian control. Lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who attended the briefing, revealed that NIS officials are closely watching whether Kim's daughter—believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and approximately 13 years old—will appear alongside her father before thousands of delegates at the upcoming gathering.
Since her initial public appearance at a long-range missile test in November 2022, Kim Ju Ae has accompanied her father to an increasing number of significant events. These have included weapons tests, military parades, factory inspections, and even international diplomacy. Notably, she traveled with Kim Jong Un to Beijing last September for his first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years, which occurred alongside a World War II commemorative event.
Symbolic Gestures and Growing Prominence
Speculation regarding her political future intensified dramatically last month when she joined both parents on a New Year's Day visit to Pyongyang's Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. This sacred family mausoleum houses the embalmed remains of her late grandfather Kim Jong Il and great-grandfather Kim Il Sung, North Korea's first- and second-generation leaders. Many experts interpreted this visit as the clearest indication yet that she is being positioned as heir to her 42-year-old father.
South Korean officials initially expressed skepticism about her potential selection as a future leader, citing North Korea's deeply conservative culture and tradition of male-dominated leadership. However, her increasingly prominent appearances in state media have prompted a significant reassessment. In its previous evaluation from September, the NIS told lawmakers that Kim Jong Un's decision to bring her to China was likely part of an effort to build a narrative that could pave the way for her eventual succession.
"In the past, the 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," explained lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun.
Intelligence Observations and Historical Context
According to Lee, the agency highlighted several key factors in their assessment: her growing presence at high-profile military events, her inclusion in the family visit to Kumsusan Palace, and indications that Kim Jong Un was beginning to seek her input on certain policy matters. Despite this increased visibility in propaganda materials, North Korean state media have never published the name of Kim Jong Un's daughter, referring to her only as his "respected" or "most beloved" child.
The belief that she is named Kim Ju Ae stems from an account by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who recalled holding Kim Jong Un's baby daughter during a 2013 visit to Pyongyang. South Korean intelligence officials believe she was born around that year. In 2023, the spy agency additionally informed lawmakers that Kim Jong Un and his wife likely have an older son and a younger third child whose gender remains unknown.
Since North Korea's foundation in 1948, the country has been ruled exclusively by male members of the Kim family—beginning with founder Kim Il Sung, followed by his son Kim Jong Il, and currently by Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Un himself was just 26 when officially named heir during a 2010 party conference, occurring two years after his father suffered a debilitating stroke. Following Kim Jong Il's death in December 2011, he was abruptly thrust into power with relatively little preparation.
Some analysts suggest that Kim Jong Un's decision to introduce his daughter to public life at an early age may reflect his own experience of being rushed into leadership. Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Korea's Sejong Institute, noted that Kim Ju Ae's first known visit to Kumsusan last month was also her father's first visit to the site in three years. Given the palace's status as a key symbol of Kim family rule, the trip should be viewed as a symbolic gesture presenting his daughter as heir before his ancestors as he prepares for the major ruling party congress.
Potential Scenarios for the Upcoming Party Congress
The Workers' Party congress in late February—last held in 2016 and 2021—could provide a stage for Kim Jong Un to formalize succession plans. Cheong suggested this might involve giving his daughter the party's first secretary post, which is the No. 2 position, though such a decision might not be immediately disclosed externally. Other analysts question whether she would receive such a high-profile post or any formal party role, given that party rules require members to be at least 18 years old.
If Kim Jong Un does use the party congress to cement his daughter as successor, the signs would likely be more subtle, according to Koh Yu-hwan, former president of South Korea's Institute of National Unification. For instance, the party might issue self-praise about how North Korea has survived longer than most other Communist states, crediting this achievement to the country's "successful inheritance of the revolution." "If you see comments like that, it would be reasonable to think that Ju Ae has been cemented as heir," Koh explained.
