Kim Jong Un names his 13-year-old Daughter as North Korea’s next leader

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has told lawmakers that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to have designated his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his successor.

The assessment is based on what the agency described as a “range of circumstances,” particularly her increasingly prominent role at major state events and indications that she may already be contributing to policy discussions.

Kim Ju Ae, believed to be about 13 years old, has become a highly visible figure in North Korean state media over the past few years.

She first appeared publicly in 2022, when she was shown on television inspecting an intercontinental ballistic missile alongside her father.

Since then, she has accompanied Kim Jong Un to numerous high-profile occasions, including celebrations marking the founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army and visits to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where North Korea’s former leaders lie in state.

In September, she made her first known trip abroad, traveling with her father to Beijing.

There, she attended China’s large-scale military parade and was seen stepping off Kim’s armored train at Beijing Railway Station.

Her participation in such symbolic and politically significant events has drawn close attention from analysts.

In North Korea, official photographs are carefully staged and carry substantial political meaning.

It is rare for anyone other than Kim Jong Un to be positioned as prominently as Ju Ae has been, sometimes even walking beside him rather than behind him.

Lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen stated that Ju Ae has moved beyond simply being “trained” as a potential successor and has entered the stage of formal “successor designation.”

Another lawmaker, Park Sun-won, suggested that her conduct at public events indicates she may already be treated as a de facto second-highest leader.

The NIS is also closely watching whether she will attend the upcoming Workers’ Party Congress, the country’s most significant political gathering held every five years, where future priorities on foreign policy, military planning, and nuclear strategy are expected to be outlined.

Ju Ae is the only publicly acknowledged child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju.

The NIS believes Kim may have an older son, but he has never been shown in state media.

Ju Ae’s existence first became known in 2013, when former American basketball player Dennis Rodman revealed he had held “baby Ju Ae” during a visit to North Korea.

Her apparent elevation raises questions, particularly in a deeply patriarchal society like North Korea.

Traditionally, leadership in the Kim dynasty has passed from father to son. However, Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, holds a senior role in the ruling Workers’ Party and wields considerable influence, demonstrating that women can hold powerful positions within the regime.

It also remains unclear why Kim Jong Un, who is relatively young and appears healthy, would designate such a young heir at this stage.

Analysts note that previous hopes for reform under Kim Jong Un went unrealized, despite expectations tied to his Western education.

What Ju Ae’s potential leadership might mean for North Korea’s future remains uncertain, but as the likely heir to a dynastic regime, she could one day wield extraordinary authority over the country’s direction.