SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers Thursday that it believes the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is close to being named the country’s future leader as he continues the family dynasty into the fourth generation.
The NIS assessment comes as North Korea prepares for its largest political meeting later this month, where Kim is expected to outline his main policy goals for the next five years and take steps to tighten his authoritarian rule.
In a closed-door briefing, National Intelligence Service officials said they were closely monitoring whether Kim Jong Un’s daughter, believed to be named Kim Joo-ae and about 13 years old, appeared with him at an upcoming Workers’ Party congress attended by thousands of delegates, said Lee Seong Kweun, a lawmaker who attended the meeting.
Kim Joo-ae made her first public appearance during a long-range missile test in November 2022, and has since accompanied her father to an increasing number of events, including weapons tests, military parades and factory openings. Last September, she traveled to Beijing with Kim for his first World War II-era summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years.
Speculation about her political future intensified last month when she visited Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on New Year’s Day with her parents. It is a sacred family mausoleum that houses the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather, the first and second generation leaders of North Korea. Some experts believe the visit is the clearest sign yet that she will be the heir apparent to her 42-year-old father.
South Korean officials initially expressed doubts about her selection as North Korea’s leader, citing the country’s deeply conservative culture and male-dominated leadership traditions. But her growing prominence in state media has prompted a reassessment.
In its assessment of Kim Joo-ae’s status in September, the National Intelligence Service told lawmakers that Kim Jong-un’s decision to take her with him to China was likely to create a “narrative” and pave the way for her succession.
“In the past, (the National Intelligence Service) described Kim Joo-ae as undergoing ‘successor training.’ Today it is worth noting that they used the term ‘successor designation stage,’ which is a very important shift,” Lee said.
According to Lee, the agency cited her increasing presence at high-profile military events, her participation in family visits to Kumsusan, and signs that Kim Jong Un was beginning to seek her advice on certain policy issues.
Little is known about King’s daughter
Despite her growing profile in propaganda, North Korean state media has never released the name of Kim Jong Un’s daughter, referring to her only as his “respected” or “most beloved” child.
Her name is believed to be Kim Ju Ae, based on an account by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, in which he recalled holding Kim Jong Un’s young daughter during a 2013 trip to Pyongyang. South Korean intelligence officials believe she was born sometime that year.
In 2023, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers that Kim Jong Un and his wife may have an older son and a third child whose gender is unknown.
Since its founding in 1948, North Korea has been ruled by male members of the Kim family, starting with the country’s founder Kim Il Sung and then his son Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong Un was 26 when he was officially named heir apparent at the 2010 party congress, two years after Kim Jong Il suffered a stroke. After his father’s death in December 2011, he suddenly ascended to the throne with relatively little preparation.
Some analysts believe Kim Jong-un’s decision to give his daughter an early debut may reflect his own rush to power.
Party congress may offer hints on succession plans
Kim Joo-ae visited Kumsusan for the first time last month and her father’s first visit to the site in three years. Given that Kim Jong Un’s palace is an important symbol of the Kim family’s rule, the visit should be seen as a symbolic gesture by Kim Jong Un to designate his daughter as his heir as his grandfather and father prepare for the main ruling party congress, said Chung Seong-chang, a senior analyst at South Korea’s Sejong Institute.
Cheong said the Workers’ Party congress in late February – last held in 2016 and 2021 – could provide a stage for Kim to formalize his succession plan, potentially giving his daughter the post of first secretary, the party’s No. 2 position, although the decision may not be immediately disclosed to the outside world.
Other analysts questioned whether she would receive such a high-profile post or any formal party role, given that party rules require members to be at least 18 years old.
Ko Yoo-hwan, former director of South Korea’s Institute for National Unification, said if Kim did use the party congress to solidify his daughter’s status as successor, the signs would be more subtle.
For example, the party might self-praise North Korea for surviving longer than most other communist countries and attribute that to how the country built “a successful succession of revolutions,” he said.
“If you see comments like this, it’s reasonable to think that Joo-ae has been solidified,” said Gao, who is the heir apparent.
