South Korean Intelligence Assesses Kim Jong Un's Daughter as Future Leader
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) informed lawmakers on Thursday that it believes the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is approaching formal designation as the country's future successor. This assessment suggests Kim is moving to extend his family's authoritarian dynasty to a fourth generation, according to a closed-door briefing attended by legislators.
Monitoring Key Political Conference for Succession Signals
The intelligence evaluation comes as North Korea prepares to convene its largest political conference later this month. During this Workers' Party Congress, Kim Jong Un is expected to outline his major policy objectives for the next five years while taking additional steps to consolidate his authoritarian control. Lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who participated in the NIS briefing, revealed that 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 this significant gathering.
Increasing Public Appearances Build Succession Narrative
Kim Ju Ae first emerged publicly during a long-range missile test in November 2022. Since that initial appearance, she has accompanied her father to a growing number of high-profile events, including weapons tests, military parades, and factory inspections. Last September, she traveled with Kim Jong Un to Beijing for his first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years, which occurred alongside a World War II commemorative event.
Speculation about 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 displays the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather Kim Jong Il and great-grandfather Kim Il Sung, North Korea's first- and second-generation leaders. Many analysts interpreted this visit as the strongest indication yet that she is being positioned as heir to her 42-year-old father.
Intelligence Agency Shifts Terminology on Succession Status
South Korean officials initially expressed skepticism about Kim Ju Ae being selected as a future North Korean leader, citing the country's deeply conservative culture and tradition of male-dominated leadership. However, her increasingly prominent appearances in state media have prompted a thorough reassessment. In its previous evaluation from September, the NIS told lawmakers that Kim Jong Un's decision to bring his daughter to China was likely part of an effort to construct a "narrative" that could pave the way for her eventual succession.
"In the past, the National Intelligence Service 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. According to Lee, the agency highlighted her growing presence at important military events, her inclusion in the family visit to Kumsusan, and indications that Kim Jong Un was beginning to seek her input on certain policy matters.
Limited Information Despite Propaganda Visibility
Despite her increased visibility in North Korean propaganda, 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 originates 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 estimate she was born sometime that year.
In 2023, South Korea's spy agency informed lawmakers that Kim Jong Un and his wife likely also 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 Kim Jong Un.
Potential Succession Planning at Upcoming Party Congress
Kim Jong Un was just 26 when he was officially named heir during a 2010 party conference, two years after his father Kim Jong Il suffered a debilitating stroke. Following his father'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 early possibly reflects his own experience of being rushed into leadership.
Kim Ju Ae's first known visit to Kumsusan last month also marked her father's first visit to the site in three years. Given the palace's status as a crucial symbol of Kim family rule, the trip should be interpreted as a symbolic gesture by Kim Jong Un to present his daughter as his heir before his grandfather and father as he prepares for the major ruling party congress, according to Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Korea's Sejong Institute.
The Workers' Party congress in late February—last held in 2016 and 2021—could provide a platform for Kim Jong Un to formalize his succession plans. This might involve granting his daughter the party's first secretary position, which represents the No. 2 leadership role, although such a decision might not be immediately disclosed to the international community, Cheong suggested.
Analysts Debate Formal Roles and Subtle Indicators
Other analysts question whether she would receive such a high-profile post or any formal party role, given that party regulations 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 example, the party might issue self-praise about how North Korea has survived longer than most other Communist states and credit that achievement to how the country established a "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. The upcoming political conference will therefore be closely scrutinized for any indications about North Korea's future leadership trajectory.
