South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has informed lawmakers that Kim Jong-un’s teenage daughter is likely to be positioned as the future leader of North Korea, signaling a potential extension of the Kim family dynasty into a fourth generation.
In a closed-door briefing, NIS officials said they were keeping a close eye on whether Kim’s daughter, believed to be Kim Ju Ae and around 13, would appear alongside her father at the upcoming Workers’ Party congress, lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun told reporters.
“In the past, NIS described Kim Ju Ae as being in the middle of ‘successor training.’ What was notable today is that they used the term ‘successor stage,’ which is a shift that is quite significant,” Lee said.
The party congress, North Korea’s biggest political conference in years, is expected to outline major policy goals for the next five years and give Kim Jong Un a platform to further consolidate his power.
The growing role of the public
Kim Ju Ae made her first public appearance during a long-range missile test in November 2022 and has increasingly accompanied her father to weapons tests, military parades, factory openings and diplomatic trips, including his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Her attendance at a recent New Year’s visit to Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which houses the embalmed bodies of her grandfather and great-grandfather, was seen by experts as a strong indication of her status as heir.
Breaking tradition
Historically, North Korea has been led by male members of the Kim family since its founding in 1948. Kim Jong-un himself was named heir at the age of 26 following the stroke of his father, Kim Jong-il. Analysts suggest that his daughter’s early debut may reflect Kim Jong-un’s own experience of rising to power.
Limited information about the heir
North Korean state media have never released her name, referring to her only as Kim Jong-un’s “esteemed” or “most beloved” child. South Korean officials estimate she was born in 2013. She is said to have an older brother and a younger third sibling whose gender remains unknown.
“Her increasing presence at major military events and family visits, along with indications that Kim Jong-un is seeking her input on certain political matters, shows the seriousness of succession planning,” Lee Seong Kweun said.
What to watch at the party congress
The upcoming Congress of the Workers’ Party, last held in 2016 and 2021, could serve as a platform to formalize the succession. Analysts say her promotion may not be immediate or public because of party rules that require members to be at least 18 years old for leadership positions.
“The party may issue a statement on how North Korea has successfully maintained leadership succession. If such comments appear, it would be reasonable to think that Ju Ae has been cemented as the heir,” Koh added.