Kim Jong Un chooses teen daughter as heir, says Seoul

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has chosen his teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his heir, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), marking a potentially historic development in the dynastic leadership of the secretive state.

The NIS briefed lawmakers on Thursday that it believes Ju Ae — thought to be around 13 years old — has entered the formal stage of “successor designation”. The assessment, officials said, was based on a range of factors, including her increasingly prominent public appearances at major state events.

In recent months, Ju Ae has frequently been seen at her father’s side during high-profile engagements, including a visit to Beijing in September — her first known trip abroad. She has also appeared at key domestic ceremonies, such as the founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army and visits to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the mausoleum housing the bodies of North Korea’s former leaders.

Lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen told reporters that the intelligence agency had observed signs that Ju Ae was moving beyond symbolic appearances. “As Kim Ju Ae has shown her presence at various events… 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,” Lee said.

Previously, the NIS had described Ju Ae as being “trained” to assume a future leadership role. The latest briefing suggests that Pyongyang may now be transitioning from preparation to formal positioning within the ruling structure.

The agency also indicated it would closely monitor whether Ju Ae attends North Korea’s upcoming Workers’ Party Congress later this month. Held once every five years, the congress is the country’s most significant political gathering and is expected to outline Pyongyang’s strategic direction on foreign policy, military planning and nuclear development for the next half-decade.

Ju Ae is the only publicly acknowledged child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. However, South Korean intelligence believes the North Korean leader also has an older son, who has never been publicly identified or featured in state media.

The first public revelation of Ju Ae’s existence came from an unexpected source. In 2013, former American basketball player Dennis Rodman told The Guardian that he had “held baby Ju Ae” during a visit to North Korea.

Her first official appearance on state television occurred in 2022, when she was shown holding her father’s hand while inspecting a newly unveiled intercontinental ballistic missile — a powerful symbol linking her image to the regime’s strategic weapons programme.