North Korea: Kim Jong Un’s 13-yr-old Daughter Tipped As Successor

The South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has revealed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has chosen his 13-year-old daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his successor — a move that could shape the future of the Kim dynasty.

According to a report by BBC, the South Korean spy agency informed lawmakers it reached the assessment after considering a “range of circumstances”, including Ju Ae’s growing presence at major state functions.

In recent months, Ju Ae has been photographed alongside her father at high-profile engagements, including a visit to Beijing in September, her first known trip abroad.

The NIS also said it would closely monitor whether she attends North Korea’s upcoming party congress later this month, which is the country’s biggest political gathering held every five years, where policies on foreign relations, military strategy and nuclear ambitions are expected to be outlined.

South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen told reporters on Thursday that Ju Ae had moved beyond training into formal designation.

“As Kim Ju Ae has shown her presence at various events, including the founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army and her visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, and signs have been detected of her voicing her opinion on certain state policies, the NIS believes she has now entered the stage of being designated as successor,” BBC quoted Lee as saying.

Ju Ae is the only publicly known child of Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. Although the NIS believes Kim may have an older son, he has never appeared in state media.

She first appeared on television in 2022 inspecting an intercontinental ballistic missile while holding her father’s hand.

Since then, she has accompanied him to military and political events and has often been photographed standing beside him, a significant detail in North Korea, where imagery is carefully choreographed and rarely places anyone on equal footing with the leader.

Another lawmaker, Park Sun-won, said Ju Ae’s role indicates she may already be acting as the country’s second-highest authority.

Power in the country has remained within three generations of the Kim family, and analysts believe Kim intends to preserve the ruling dynasty.

However, the possible designation of a female heir has raised questions given the country’s traditionally patriarchal system.