Little is known about Kim Ju Ae, who in recent months has been seen alongside her father at high-profile events, including a visit to Beijing in September 2025 — her first known trip abroad.
The NIS said the assessment that Ju Ae is the designated heir considers “a range of circumstances,” including her increasingly prominent presence at official events and signs that she is providing input on certain state policies. The agency will closely monitor whether she attends the North’s party congress later this month, the country’s largest political event, which sets priorities on foreign policy, military planning, and nuclear ambitions for the next five years.
Lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen explained that Ju Ae, previously described by the NIS as “being trained” to succeed her father, is now at the stage of “successor designation.” “As Kim Ju Ae has appeared at major events, including the anniversary of the Korean People’s Army and visits to significant state sites, and signs of involvement in certain policies have been detected, we believe she has now entered the stage of official designation,” Lee said.
Ju Ae is the only known child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. The NIS believes Kim may have an older son, but he has never been acknowledged or shown in North Korean media. The existence of Ju Ae first became publicly known in 2013, when former basketball player Dennis Rodman told The Guardian he had held the baby during a visit to the secretive state.
Now believed to be around 13 years old, Ju Ae made her first state television appearance in 2022, inspecting intercontinental ballistic missiles while holding her father’s hand. Since then, she has appeared frequently in state media, softening her father’s image as a ruthless dictator, and has accompanied him at major international events, including China’s largest-ever military parade in Beijing.
Analysts note that Ju Ae’s prominent positioning alongside Kim Jong Un — often equal in framing in official photos, which are highly symbolic in North Korea — suggests she is already providing political input and is treated as the de facto second-in-command.
Despite the designation, questions remain. Choosing a daughter over an older son is unusual in North Korea’s deeply patriarchal society, though precedents exist, such as Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong, who holds a senior position in the ruling party and is believed to wield significant influence.
Experts also wonder why Kim Jong Un, still young and apparently healthy, is already naming a 13-year-old as his heir. If confirmed, Ju Ae would hold the extraordinary power to shape North Korea’s future from a remarkably young age, controlling the country’s direction with virtually singular authority.
