A missile launch debut. A mausoleum visit. A party congress ahead. Is North Korea preparing its next ruler?
South Korea’s intelligence agency told lawmakers Thursday that it believes the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is approaching formal recognition as his successor, signaling a potential fourth generation of dynastic rule in Pyongyang.
In a closed-door briefing, the National Intelligence Service said Kim’s daughter — widely believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and around 13 years old — appears to be entering what officials described as a “successor-designate stage.” The assessment marks a notable shift from earlier descriptions of her being in “successor training.”
The timing is significant. North Korea is preparing for a major congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea later this month, where Kim is expected to outline five-year policy goals and consolidate his authority. Lawmakers briefed by the agency said intelligence officials are closely watching whether the girl appears alongside her father before thousands of party delegates — a symbolic gesture that could carry political weight.
Kim Ju Ae first appeared publicly at a long-range missile test in November 2022. Since then, she has accompanied her father to high-profile military parades, weapons inspections and factory openings. Her presence at a summit in Beijing last year and, more recently, at Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Palace of the Sun — the mausoleum housing the embalmed bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il — intensified speculation that she is being positioned as heir.
North Korea has never publicly confirmed her name, referring to her only as Kim’s “most beloved” or “respected” child. The belief that she is Kim Ju Ae stems from remarks by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who said he held Kim’s infant daughter during a 2013 visit.
For decades, North Korea’s leadership has passed exclusively through male members of the Kim family. Analysts previously questioned whether the country’s deeply patriarchal political culture would accept a female successor. But her increasingly prominent role in state propaganda has prompted reassessment.
Some experts argue that Kim Jong Un’s own abrupt ascent — formally designated heir at 26 after his father suffered a stroke — may influence his approach. Introducing a successor early could provide greater continuity and stability.
Whether the upcoming party congress formalizes her status remains uncertain. Formal party rules set age thresholds for senior posts, suggesting any confirmation could be subtle rather than explicit. Observers say language praising the “inheritance of the revolution” could serve as an indirect signal.
If confirmed, the move would reinforce the Kim dynasty’s grip on power, extending a lineage that has ruled the isolated state since 1948 — and reshaping the future of one of the world’s most tightly controlled political systems.
