South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said Monday it now regards the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as his political successor.
NIS Director Lee Jong Seok told lawmakers, according to Yonhap, that the assessment is “not a judgment based on mere circumstantial evidence, but on intelligence information.” The agency has increasingly tracked signals from Pyongyang pointing to succession plans.
Earlier in 2024 the NIS said it viewed one of Kim’s daughters as a likely heir, its first official suggestion she might be groomed for leadership; by February it reported she appeared close to formal designation. The agency has downplayed the political power of Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, despite speculation about her influence.
Known in state media as Kim’s “most beloved” or “respected” child, the girl—widely reported to be Kim Ju Ae—first appeared in official photographs in 2022. Since then she has accompanied her father to several public events, including multiple missile tests and a state visit to China. North Korean state media has shown her in military settings, including images appearing to show her looking through a weapon’s viewfinder and driving a tank at a training base (file photo).
Little about her is officially confirmed; neither age nor name have been formally announced. Former basketball player Dennis Rodman, who met Kim in 2013, has estimated her age at about 13 or 14. The NIS says the increased military appearances aim to counter doubts about a female leader.
The agency stresses the assessment is provisional. Some analysts say Kim Jong Un may have other children, potentially including a son who could be presented publicly later. Since its founding in 1948, North Korea’s leadership has passed through male members of the Kim family—Kim Il Sung to Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un.
Edited by: Rana Taha