- By Priyanka Koul
- Thu, 12 Feb 2026 05:30 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is reportedly preparing to hand over power to his teenage daughter, South Korea's spy agency informed lawmakers on Thursday. The agency believes the teenage daughter of Kim Jong Un is close to being designated as the country's future leader, signalling his intent to extend the family dynasty into a fourth generation.
Little is known about Kim Ju Ae, who has in recent months appeared alongside her father at high-profile events, including a September visit to Beijing her first documented trip abroad.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it considered a "range of circumstances," such as her growing visibility at official events, when reaching this conclusion.
The agency also said it would closely observe whether she takes part in North Korea’s upcoming party congress, the nation’s largest political gathering, which occurs every five years.
Ju Ae is the only publicly known child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. The NIS believes he may have an older son, but this child has never been officially acknowledged or shown in North Korean media.
In a closed-door briefing, NIS officials said they are closely watching whether Kim's daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and around 13 years old, will appear alongside him before thousands of delegates at the upcoming Workers' Party Congress, said lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who attended the meeting.
First appearing in public at a long-range missile test in November 2022, Kim Ju Ae has since accompanied her father to an increasing number of events, including weapons tests, military parades and factory openings. She travelled with him to Beijing last September for Kim's first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years on the sidelines of a World War II event.
Speculation about her political future intensified last month when she joined her parents on a New Year's Day visit to Pyongyang's Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a sacred family mausoleum displaying the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather, the country's first- and second-generation leaders. Some experts saw the visit as the clearest sign yet that she's positioned to be the heir to her 42-year-old father.
South Korean officials initially expressed doubt that she could be chosen as a North Korean leader, citing the country's deeply conservative culture and tradition of male-dominated leadership. But her increasingly prominent appearances in state media have prompted a reassessment.
In its previous assessment of Kim Ju Ae's status in September, the NIS told lawmakers that Kim Jong Un's decision to bring her along on his trip to China was likely part of an effort to build a "narrative" possibly paving the way for her succession.
"In the past, (NIS) described Kim Ju Ae as being in the midst of successor training.' What was notable today is that they used the term successor-designate stage,' a shift that's quite significant," Lee said.
According to Lee, the agency cited her growing presence at high-profile military events, her inclusion in the family visit to Kumsusan, and signs that Kim Jong Un was beginning to seek her input on certain policy matters.
Despite her increased visibility in propaganda, North Korean state media have never published the name of Kim Jong Un's daughter, only referring to her as his "respected" or "most beloved" child.
The belief that she is named Kim Ju Ae is based on an account by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, in which he recalled holding Kim Jong Un's baby daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013. South Korean intelligence officials believe she was born sometime that year.
Since its foundation in 1948, North Korea has been ruled by male members of the Kim family, beginning with the country's founder Kim Il Sung and followed by his son, Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong Un was just 26 when he was officially named heir during a 2010 party conference, two years after Kim Jong Il suffered a debilitating stroke. Following his father's death in December 2011, he was abruptly thrust into the throne with relatively little preparation.
Some analysts suggest that Kim Jong Un's decision to debut his daughter early possibly reflects his own experience of being rushed into power.
Kim Ju Ae's first recorded visit to Kumsusan last month also marked her father’s first trip to the site in three years. Considering the palace's status as a significant symbol of the Kim family’s rule, the visit should be interpreted as a symbolic gesture by Kim Jong Un to present his daughter as his heir before his grandfather and father, as he prepares for the major ruling party congress, said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Korea's Sejong Institute.
Other analysts, however, question whether she would be given such a high-profile role or any formal position within the party, noting that party rules require members to be at least 18.
“If Kim Jong Un does use the party congress to cement his daughter as successor, the signals would be more subtle,” said Koh Yu-hwan, former president of South Korea's Institute of National Unification.
( With Inputs from Agency )