Speculation continues to grow around Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as South Korean intelligence agencies increasingly view her as the most likely long-term successor to her father.
Who is Kim Ju Ae?
Kim Ju Ae is believed to be around 13 years old. North Korean state media has never officially confirmed her name. The world first heard it in 2013, when former NBA player Dennis Rodman visited Pyongyang and mentioned meeting Kim Jong Un’s young daughter during his trip.
For years, she remained out of public view. That changed in 2022 when she appeared alongside her father at a ballistic missile launch. Since then, she has been seen at a series of highly choreographed state events, including military ceremonies and symbolic national gatherings. Her public presence has steadily increased, drawing attention from analysts and foreign governments alike.
State media has described her using phrases such as “a person of great importance,” language historically reserved for key members of the ruling Kim family. In North Korea’s political culture, wording matters, and these carefully chosen descriptions have fueled speculation that she is being positioned for a future leadership role.
If she were eventually to assume power, she would become the fourth generation of the Kim family to rule North Korea and the first woman to do so. That would represent a significant departure from a system that has traditionally favored male successors.
What South Korean Intelligence Says
According to South Korean lawmakers citing briefings from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Kim Ju Ae is currently viewed as the “most likely successor.” Her repeated public appearances have strengthened that assessment.
She has accompanied her father to major events, including celebrations marking the anniversary of the Korean People’s Army and a New Year’s visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie in state. Participation in such symbolic ceremonies is widely interpreted as part of grooming a future leader.
The NIS has indicated it will closely monitor whether she attends the upcoming Ninth Party Congress. Her presence there would further signal that she is being prepared for a more formal political role.
Are There Other Possible Successors?
Despite the speculation, analysts caution that North Korea’s succession plans remain uncertain and could change depending on internal political dynamics.
One frequently mentioned alternative is Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister. She already holds significant political influence and has built strong connections within both the Workers’ Party of Korea and the military establishment.
Strategic analyst Hans Horan wrote in a December analysis for 38 North that, in the short term, a politically established figure like Kim Yo Jong would be more likely to take control in the event of Kim Jong Un’s sudden death or incapacitation. Younger candidates, including Kim Ju Ae or any undisclosed siblings, are still considered too young and insufficiently established to assume power in the near future.
In other words, while Kim Ju Ae may be the favored long-term heir, immediate succession if it were suddenly required could look very different.
Why It Matters
North Korea’s next supreme leader will significantly shape the country’s future direction, particularly its relationship with South Korea and the United States. Tensions have intensified in recent years due to Pyongyang’s continued ballistic missile testing and expansion of its nuclear weapons program.
For now, Kim Ju Ae’s growing visibility appears intentional. Whether that visibility translates into eventual leadership remains one of the most closely watched political questions on the Korean Peninsula.
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