North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has designated his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his heir apparent, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).
The intelligence agency briefed lawmakers on Thursday, saying it had assessed that Ju Ae — believed to be about 13 years old — has entered the stage of “successor designation.” The NIS cited her increasingly prominent public appearances at major state functions as evidence of her formal positioning for leadership.
Lawmakers were told the agency would monitor closely whether Ju Ae attends North Korea’s upcoming party congress, the country’s largest political gathering held every five years. The congress is expected to outline Pyongyang’s priorities on foreign policy, military strategy and nuclear development for the next five years.
Lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen said Ju Ae, previously described by the NIS as being groomed as a potential successor, is now formally being prepared for the role. He pointed to her attendance at key events, including celebrations marking the founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army and a visit to Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. According to Lee, there are also indications that she has begun voicing opinions on certain state policies.
Ju Ae is the only publicly known child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. However, the NIS believes the North Korean leader may have an older son who has never been publicly acknowledged.
The first reports of Ju Ae surfaced in 2013, when former NBA star Dennis Rodman told The Guardian he had held “baby Ju Ae” during a visit to North Korea. She made her state media debut in 2022, appearing alongside her father as they inspected an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Since then, Ju Ae has featured regularly in official media coverage, often standing prominently at her father’s side. During a visit to Beijing for a major military parade, she was photographed stepping off his armoured train at Beijing Railway Station. In other appearances, she has been seen walking beside him — rather than behind — a symbolic detail in a country where public imagery is carefully choreographed.
She is frequently depicted with long hair — a style reportedly restricted for most girls her age in North Korea — and wearing designer clothing beyond the reach of ordinary citizens.
Another South Korean lawmaker, Park Sun-won, said Ju Ae’s high-profile presence suggests she is being treated as a de facto second-highest authority and has begun contributing to policy discussions.
Leadership in North Korea has passed through three generations of the Kim family, and it is widely believed Kim Jong Un intends to preserve that lineage. Still, analysts have questioned why a daughter would be selected in a deeply patriarchal society where female leadership has traditionally been viewed as unlikely.
A precedent for female authority exists in Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, who holds a senior role in the ruling Workers’ Party Central Committee and is considered highly influential within the regime.
It remains unclear why Kim Jong Un, who appears relatively young and healthy, is designating a successor at this stage.
Observers say that if Ju Ae ultimately assumes leadership, she would inherit sweeping authority to shape North Korea’s political and military trajectory.
When Kim Jong Un first took power, some citizens had hoped the Western-educated leader might open the country to the outside world — expectations that were largely unmet. Whether Ju Ae’s eventual leadership would bring change or continuity remains uncertain.
