North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Reportedly Names 13-Year-Old Daughter Kim Ju Ae As Heir
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly chosen his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his heir, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday. The 13-year-old, who has recently appeared alongside her father at high-profile events—including a visit to Beijing in September, her first known trip abroad—has increasingly taken on a prominent public role. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it based its assessment on “a range of circumstances,” including Ju Ae’s growing visibility at official events. The agency will closely monitor whether she attends North Korea’s upcoming party congress later this month, the country’s largest political gathering held every five years. The party congress is expected to outline Pyongyang’s priorities for the next five years, covering foreign policy, military strategy, and nuclear ambitions. Lawmakers were told that Ju Ae, previously described by the NIS as being “trained” for succession, has now entered the stage of “successor 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,” lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen said. Ju Ae is the only publicly known child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. The NIS also believes Kim has an older son, though he has never been publicly acknowledged or shown in North Korean media.
