Spy agency cites growing public role of 13-year-old amid questions over succession timing
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has designated his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his successor, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) told lawmakers on Thursday. The assessment comes amid her increasingly prominent appearances alongside her father at major state events.
Kim Ju Ae, believed to be around 13 years old, has been seen with Kim Jong Un at high-profile occasions, including a recent visit to Beijing in September, her first known trip abroad. The NIS said it considered a “range of circumstances,” particularly her growing visibility and apparent involvement in state affairs, before concluding that she has entered the stage of “successor designation.”
South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen said intelligence inputs suggest Ju Ae has begun voicing opinions on certain state policies. Her presence at events such as the anniversary of the Korean People’s Army and visits to symbolic sites like the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun further support this view. Another lawmaker, Park Sun-won, noted that her role in public events indicates she is being treated as the de facto second-highest leader.
The NIS is closely watching whether Ju Ae attends the upcoming Workers’ Party Congress, North Korea’s most important political gathering held once every five years, where Pyongyang is expected to outline its priorities on foreign policy, defence, and nuclear ambitions.
Ju Ae is the only publicly known child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, though intelligence agencies believe he may have an older son who has never been shown in state media. Her emergence raises questions in North Korea’s traditionally patriarchal society, though the influence of Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, suggests a precedent for female authority.
Why Kim Jong Un is designating a teenage heir despite appearing young remains unclear, leaving analysts speculating about the future direction of the secretive state.
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