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South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has selected Kim Ju Ae, his daughter, as successor.
According to the BBC, the South Korean spy agency told lawmakers that it assessed Ju Ae to be the designated heir after considering a “range of circumstances”, including her increasingly prominent public appearances at official events.
In recent months, Ju Ae has been pictured alongside her father at high-profile engagements, including a visit to Beijing in September — her first known trip abroad.
The NIS said it would monitor closely whether she attends the North’s party congress later this month — the country’s largest political event, held once every five years.
This party congress is where the country is expected to outline its priorities on foreign policy, war planning and nuclear ambitions for the next five years.
Lee Seong-kwen, a South Korean lawmaker, told reporters on Thursday that Ju Ae, who had previously been described as being “trained” as a successor, has now entered the stage of “successor designation”.
“As Kim Ju Ae has shown her presence at various events, including the founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army and her visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, and signs have been detected of her voicing her opinion on certain state policies, the NIS believes she has now entered the stage of being designated as successor,” BBC quoted Lee as saying.
Ju Ae is the only known child of Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. Although NIS believes Kim has an older son, but he has never been acknowledged or shown in North Korean media.
She made her first appearance on state television in 2022, inspecting an intercontinental ballistic missile while holding her father’s hand.
The 13-year-old has, in recent time, appeared in state media, accompanying Kim to military and political events, including China’s military parade in Beijing.
Ju Ae has often been photographed standing beside her father rather than behind him — a notable detail in North Korea, where state media imagery is regarded as highly symbolic and rarely places others on equal footing with the leader.
Another lawmaker, Park Sun-won, said Ju Ae’s visible role at public events suggests she has begun providing policy input and is being treated as the de facto second-highest leader.
Power in North Korea has remained within three generations of the Kim family, and it is widely believed Kim intends to maintain the dynasty.
However, the designation raises questions about North Korea’s deeply patriarchal society for a daughter to be chosen
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