Kim Jong Un’s Daughter Tipped as Successor, South Korea Reports
South Korea’s intelligence agency believes North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is nearing a decision to name his teenage daughter as his successor, potentially ushering in a fourth generation of dynastic rule. Officials from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) are closely observing whether Kim’s daughter, believed to be around 13 years old and possibly named Kim Ju-ae, will appear alongside her father at a significant political conference scheduled for later this month.
This conference is expected to be a major event where Kim will lay out his policy objectives for the next five years and solidify his authoritarian control. The NIS’s assessment, revealed to lawmakers, indicates a significant shift from previous evaluations. While the agency previously described Kim Ju-ae as undergoing “successor training,” they are now using the term “successor-designate stage,” a distinction considered highly significant.
Kim Ju-ae’s public profile has been steadily rising since her first appearance at a long-range missile test in November 2022. She has since accompanied her father to a growing number of public events, including weapons demonstrations, military parades, and factory visits. Notably, she traveled with Kim to Beijing last September for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking Kim’s first meeting with Xi in six years.
Further fueling speculation about her imminent designation as heir was a New Year’s Day visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a mausoleum housing the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather, the first and second leaders of North Korea. Some analysts view this visit as a clear indication that she is being positioned as the successor to her 42-year-old father.
Initially, South Korean officials harbored doubts about a female successor, citing North Korea’s conservative, male-dominated leadership traditions. However, Kim Ju-ae’s increasingly prominent role in state media has prompted a reassessment of these assumptions. The NIS has pointed to her growing presence at high-profile military events, her inclusion in the symbolic family visit to the mausoleum, and indications that Kim may be seeking her input on policy matters as key factors supporting their current assessment.
Details about Kim Jong-un’s daughter remain scarce. North Korean state media, while frequently featuring her, has never officially revealed her name, referring to her only as his “respected” or “most beloved” child. The name Kim Ju-ae stems from a recollection by former NBA player Dennis Rodman, who stated he held Kim’s baby daughter during a 2013 visit to Pyongyang. South Korean intelligence officials believe she was born around that year. The NIS has also indicated that Kim and his wife likely have an older son and a younger third child, whose gender is currently unknown.
Since its founding in 1948, North Korea has been ruled by male members of the Kim family, starting with Kim Il-sung and continuing with his son, Kim Jong-il. Kim Jong-un himself was named heir at the young age of 26 during a 2010 party conference, two years before his father suffered a debilitating stroke. He ascended to power abruptly following his father’s death in December 2011 with what some describe as limited preparation. Analysts suggest that Kim Jong-un’s decision to give his daughter such an early public debut might be influenced by his own experience of being rapidly propelled into leadership.
– Sarah JenkinsRT (Jenkins.S@theseouljournal.com)
