Kim Jong Un's Daughter Ju Ae Emerges as North Korea's Likely Heir, but Experts Say Succession Is Years Away

SEOUL, South Korea — Kim Ju Ae, the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has moved from occasional companion at weapons tests to the center of Pyongyang's political stage, with South Korea's spy agency now describing her as her father's likely successor.

Her growing prominence has intensified debate over whether North Korea, a nation steeped in patriarchal and military-first traditions, is preparing for the first female leader in its history, and how long such a transition might take.

Spy agency's assessment hardens

South Korea's National Intelligence Service has steadily strengthened its view of Ju Ae's status over the past year.

In 2024, the agency reported that she was receiving training to succeed her father. In a Feb. 12 briefing to lawmakers this year, the agency went further, saying Kim appeared to be designating his daughter as his successor.

Rep. Lee Seong-kweun told reporters after that closed-door session that the agency had previously described Ju Ae as studying to be successor, but now said she was "in the stage of being internally appointed successor."

In April, NIS Director Lee Jong-seok delivered the agency's most definitive assessment yet. Asked about her status during a briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee, he was quoted by lawmakers as saying, "(She) can be seen as the successor."

The director also told lawmakers that Kim's influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, widely regarded as North Korea's second most powerful political figure, has no independent power, according to lawmakers who attended the briefing.

On Sept. 1, the NIS told lawmakers that Ju Ae had effectively been designated as successor. Rep. Yoon Geon-young said the agency believes she is "being exposed to the media to establish herself as a leader" among North Koreans.

Not all lawmakers are convinced. Some cautioned it is still too early to conclude she has been chosen, noting that Kim Jong Un is 42 while his daughter is believed to be 13. One lawmaker said it would be "a stretch to conclude that Ju-ae has been confirmed as the successor."

From companion to active participant

Ju Ae was first shown to the world in November 2022, when she accompanied her father to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. State media described her at the time as his "beloved" daughter.

North Korea has never officially confirmed her name or age. South Korean intelligence believes she is the child of Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and that she was born in the early 2010s. The agency has recently suggested her name may actually be Ju Hae.

Her public role has expanded considerably since then. A report by South Korean outlet KLAB noted that she has made more than 30 official appearances this year, and that her role has shifted from simply accompanying her father to actively assisting him, including handing out gifts to officials.

Her milestones in 2026 have been closely tracked by analysts. On Jan. 1, she visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the mausoleum of North Korea's late leaders, standing between her parents in her first appearance there.

In February, she attended a military parade capping the ruling Workers' Party's Ninth Congress, the country's most important political gathering, standing beside her father and senior military leaders. In March, she was shown test-firing a pistol at a munitions factory, and in April, the NIS cited images of her driving a tank to reinforce its succession assessment.

Last September, she accompanied her father to Beijing for a military parade, her first known appearance abroad. Analysts noted that neither her father nor her aunt ever made such a trip as a young heir.

Why start so early?

Experts cited in the KLAB report suggested Kim may be promoting his daughter early to avoid the instability he faced during his own succession and to establish her legitimacy as the heir to the "Paektu bloodline," the family lineage that North Korean propaganda traces to state founder Kim Il Sung.

Kim Jong Un took power abruptly after his father, Kim Jong Il, died in December 2011. At the time, he was in his late 20s, had been publicly introduced as heir only about a year earlier and lacked an established power base. He spent his early years in power consolidating control, including purging and executing senior officials, among them his uncle Jang Song Thaek.

Concerns about Kim's health add urgency to the question. The NIS has previously warned that he is at risk of cardiovascular disease if his health does not improve. Analysts say his visible weight gain has fueled persistent speculation about his long-term health.

Some analysts see Ju Ae's frequent appearances as a deliberate effort to normalize her presence among North Korea's elite before any formal succession, a strategy aimed at overcoming resistance a female heir would likely face.

Patriarchal barriers

That resistance could be significant. North Korea's political system is built on deeply entrenched patriarchal traditions and a military-first ideology that has historically excluded women from supreme leadership.

If Kim were to die prematurely, Ju Ae could inherit power in her twenties without the patronage network, military credentials or years of political experience that even her father needed, according to an analysis published by the East Asia Forum. The analysis suggested that a regency led by Kim Yo Jong, or even a palace coup, could be more likely in that scenario than a smooth transfer of power, though it noted Kim Yo Jong would face her own patriarchal barriers.

Questions also remain about Kim's other children. South Korean intelligence has said Kim has at least two and possibly three children, but only Ju Ae has appeared publicly. A growing number of analysts have questioned whether an older son exists at all.

Ju Ae has not been given any official title or institutional role that would anchor her authority within the system, a key step analysts are watching for.

A long road ahead

Analysts say a formal succession is likely years away. The KLAB report said experts believe a transfer of power could come around the mid-2030s, as Ju Ae would need time to build experience and political connections within the regime.

Analysts expect Kim to begin building military credentials for his daughter once she becomes a member of the Workers' Party, which could happen in the next few years.

Her next appearances, any titles conferred on her and how state media describes her will be closely watched in Seoul, Washington and other capitals for signals about the future of the world's only communist dynasty, now in its third generation of rule.