Bold claim first: North Korea may be positioning Kim Jong Un’s daughter as the country’s future leader, signaling a possible fourth-generation dynastic succession—and this is exactly where the debate heats up. But here’s where it gets controversial: what does this mean for the region, and who gets to decide in a system governed by a single family?
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) informed lawmakers on Thursday that it believes Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter could soon be designated as the successor, as the leadership under her father extends the Kim family dynasty into a fourth generation. This assessment comes ahead of North Korea’s largest political gathering, the Workers’ Party Congress, slated for later this month, where Kim is expected to map out major five-year policy goals and tighten his grip on authority.
During a closed-door briefing, NIS officials indicated they are watching whether Kim Ju Ae—believed to be about 13 years old and reportedly the name some sources attach to the heir—appears alongside her father before thousands of delegates at the congress, according to lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun.
Kim Ju Ae first appeared publicly during a November 2022 long-range missile test and has since joined her father at a growing number of high-profile events—military parades, weapons demonstrations, and factory openings. She even traveled with Kim to Beijing last September for his first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years, on the sidelines of a World War II commemoration event.
Speculation about her future intensified last month when she accompanied both parents on New Year’s Day to Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the mausoleum housing the embalmed bodies of Kim’s grandfather and great-grandfather, North Korea’s first two leaders. Some observers viewed that visit as the clearest signal yet that she is being groomed to succeed her 42-year-old father.
Initially, South Korean officials doubted she would be chosen as North Korea’s leader, citing the country’s conservative, male-dominated political culture. Yet her expanding presence in state media has prompted a reassessment.
In a September update, the NIS told lawmakers that Kim Jong Un’s decision to bring her along on his trip to China was likely part of constructing a narrative that could pave the way for her succession. “In the past, the agency described Kim Ju Ae as being in the midst of ‘successor training.’ Today, they used the term ‘successor-designate stage,’ which is a notable shift,” Lee noted.
The agency pointed to her growing visibility at important military events, her inclusion in the family’s Kumsusan visit, and signals that Kim Jong Un is seeking her input on certain policy questions.
What we do know about Kim’s daughter is remarkably sparse in official North Korean communications. State media has never publicly confirmed her name, referring to her only as Kim Jong Un’s “respected” or “beloved” child. The belief that her name is Kim Ju Ae rests largely on an account by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who recalled holding Kim Jong Un’s infant daughter during a 2013 trip to Pyongyang. South Korean intelligence estimates she was born around that year. There have also been hints of the existence of an older brother and a younger third child whose genders remain unspecified, according to the agency’s 2023 briefing.
North Korea has been governed by male Kim family members since the country’s founding in 1948, beginning with Kim Il Sung and followed by Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong Un was named heir at age 26 during a 2010 party conference, and he inherited the leadership after his father’s death in 2011, having had relatively little preparation for the role.
Some analysts interpret Kim Jong Un’s early public debut for his daughter as a reflection of his own rapid rise to power, attempting to normalize succession at a younger age.
The upcoming Workers’ Party congress could offer clues about succession. Kim Ju Ae’s first known visit to Kumsusan last month coincided with her father’s own first visit to the site in three years. Sejong Institute analyst Cheong Seong-Chang suggests this should be viewed as a symbolic move to present his daughter as heir before the broader party gathering.
If the congress serves to formalize a succession, some analysts speculate she might be assigned a role such as the party’s first secretary—effectively the No. 2 position. However, such a move would be closely watched for timing, and may not be immediately disclosed. Others question whether she would receive a high-profile party post at all, given party membership rules typically requiring members to be at least 18.
Even if the party chooses to signal succession through subtler means, observers will be watching for hints. Koh Yu-hwan, a former president of South Korea’s Institute of National Unification, suggests that if the party speaks approvingly of North Korea’s longevity and frames it as a “successful inheritance of the revolution,” it could be read as an acknowledgment of Ju Ae’s status. If readers see that kind of framing, it would be reasonable to conclude she has been cemented as heir.
Thought-provoking question for discussion: Do you think North Korea’s leadership transition, if it unfolds around a child, risks sidelining merit and policy competency in favor of dynastic symbolism, or could a dynastic roadmap still produce coherent governance in a highly centralized regime? Share your views in the comments.
