North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has formally positioned his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his political successor according to intelligence assessments from Seoul. This significant development emerges just weeks before Pyongyang’s landmark party conference, where the reclusive state is expected to outline its strategic direction for the coming years.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) briefed lawmakers that Kim Ju Ae has been explicitly “designated as a successor,” representing the latest step in her gradual emergence as heir apparent. The assessment comes after analyzing her increasingly visible presence at official state functions and the elevated protocol she has received during recent public appearances.
The teenage successor-in-waiting first appeared publicly in 2022 accompanying her father to an intercontinental ballistic missile launch demonstration. Since then, state media has progressively amplified her profile, referring to her with honorific titles typically reserved for top leadership, including “the beloved child” and “great person of guidance” (hyangdo in Korean).
Recent imagery published by North Korean official channels showed Ju Ae paying respects alongside her father at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the mausoleum housing the remains of state founder Kim Il Sung and former leader Kim Jong Il. This symbolic gesture reinforced perceptions of her growing political stature.
Analysts suggest she might be appointed to the powerful position of First Secretary of the Central Committee during the upcoming Workers’ Party congress—the second highest office in North Korea’s political hierarchy. The February conference represents Pyongyang’s most significant political gathering, where the regime will likely announce its foreign policy objectives, military strategy, and nuclear development plans for the next five-year period.
South Korean intelligence officials indicate they will closely monitor the level of protocol accorded to Ju Ae during the congress proceedings for further indications of her formalized status within the leadership structure.