FILE – This image, released by the North Korean government, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, positioned on the left, alongside his daughter, on the right, as they arrive at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 29, 2025. Independent reporters were not permitted to cover the event captured in this photo shared by the North Korean authorities. The authenticity of this image remains unverified and is presented as provided.
On Thursday, South Korea’s intelligence agency informed lawmakers that it suspects the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is nearing a designation as the nation’s future ruler, as he aims to perpetuate the family dynasty into a fourth generation.
Future of North Korean Leadership
The evaluation from the National Intelligence Service arrives as North Korea gears up for its largest political assembly later this month, where Kim Jong Un is anticipated to present his key policy objectives for the upcoming five years and implement measures to reinforce his authoritarian control.
During a private briefing, officials from the NIS indicated they are vigilantly observing whether Kim Jong Un’s daughter — thought to be named Kim Ju Ae and approximately 13 years old — will accompany him in front of the thousands of delegates at the forthcoming Workers’ Party Congress, as reported by lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who was present at the session.
Making her public debut during a long-range missile demonstration in November 2022, Kim Ju Ae has since joined her father at an increasing array of events, such as military parades, weapons tests, and factory inaugurations. Last September, she accompanied him to Beijing for Kim’s first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years, which took place alongside a World War II commemoration.
Family Dynasty Continuation
IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET | President Trump holds discussions with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung regarding trade and the situation with North Korea
Last month, speculation regarding her political prospects surged when she accompanied her parents on a New Year’s Day trip to Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, a revered mausoleum housing the preserved remains of her late grandfather and great-grandfather, the nation’s inaugural leaders. Many analysts interpreted the visit as a strong indication that she is being groomed to succeed her 42-year-old father, Kim Jong Un.
Initially, South Korean officials were skeptical about her potential selection as a leader of North Korea, pointing to the nation’s deeply entrenched conservative values and a history of male leadership. However, her growing visibility in state media has led to a reevaluation of this perspective.
Role of Kim’s Daughter
In its earlier evaluation of Kim Ju Ae’s position in September, the NIS informed lawmakers that Kim Jong Un’s choice to include her in his visit to China was likely part of a strategy to create a “narrative” that could potentially set the stage for her succession.
“Previously, the NIS referred to Kim Ju Ae as undergoing ‘successor training.’ What stands out today is their use of the phrase ‘successor-designate stage,’ which marks a notable change,” Lee remarked.
Lee mentioned that the agency highlighted her increasing visibility at prominent military functions, her participation in the family trip to Kumsusan, and indications that Kim Jong Un was starting to consider her opinions on specific policy issues.
Intelligence Agency Insights
Little information is available regarding Kim Jong Un’s daughter.
Although her presence in propaganda has grown, North Korean state media has never disclosed the name of Kim Jong Un’s daughter, consistently referring to her as his “esteemed” or “dearest” child.
Promotion
The assertion that her name is Kim Ju Ae stems from a narrative shared by former NBA player Dennis Rodman, who recounted the experience of holding Kim Jong Un’s infant daughter during a visit to Pyongyang in 2013. South Korean intelligence sources suggest she was born around that same time.
In 2023, South Korea’s intelligence agency informed lawmakers that Kim Jong Un and his spouse are believed to have an older son and a younger child whose sex remains unspecified.
Since its establishment in 1948, North Korea has been governed by male descendants of the Kim family, starting with the nation’s founder, Kim Il Sung, and succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Il.
At just 26 years old, Kim Jong Un was designated as the successor during a party conference in 2010, two years after his father, Kim Jong Il, experienced a severe stroke. After his father’s passing in December 2011, he suddenly found himself in power with minimal preparation.
The party congress could provide insights into potential succession strategies.
Last month marked Kim Ju Ae’s initial visit to Kumsusan, coinciding with her father’s first return to the site in three years. Considering the palace’s significance as a prominent emblem of the Kim family’s leadership, this journey can be interpreted as a symbolic act by Kim Jong Un to showcase his daughter as his successor in the presence of his grandfather and father, especially as he gears up for the upcoming major ruling party congress, according to Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Korea’s Sejong Institute.
The congress of the Workers’ Party, scheduled for late February and previously held in 2016 and 2021, may serve as a platform for Kim Jong Un to solidify his succession strategy, potentially by appointing his daughter to the party’s first secretary role, its second-highest position. However, such a choice might not be revealed to the public right away, according to Cheong.
Some analysts are skeptical about her chances of obtaining such a prominent position or any official role within the party, considering that the party’s regulations stipulate that members must be at least 18 years old.
Koh Yu-hwan, the former head of South Korea’s Institute of National Unification, stated that if Kim Jong Un utilizes the party congress to establish his daughter as the heir, the indications would likely be more nuanced.
For instance, the regime might boast about how North Korea has outlasted many other Communist nations, attributing this longevity to the establishment of a "successful legacy of the revolution," he remarked.
Koh remarked, “Seeing such comments might lead one to conclude that Ju Ae has been firmly established as the heir.”