Kim Jong Un Names Kim Ju Ae Heir, Signals Dynastic Succession in North Korea

North Korea’s leadership succession appears to be entering a new phase as Kim Jong Un has formally designated his teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as heir apparent, according to South Korea’s intelligence agency.

Lawmakers in Seoul disclosed that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) now assesses Ju Ae has entered the stage of “successor designation,” citing her growing visibility at high-profile state events and signs of involvement in policy discussions. The development signals a potential fourth-generation transfer of power within North Korea’s ruling Kim dynasty.

Ju Ae, believed to be about 13 years old, has increasingly appeared alongside her father at major military and political ceremonies. She has attended key events including celebrations marking the founding of the Korean People’s Army and visits to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. Analysts note that her positioning in official imagery — often standing beside rather than behind her father — reflects carefully choreographed symbolism in a system where optics matter.

The NIS said it will closely watch her participation at North Korea’s upcoming Workers’ Party congress, a critical forum expected to outline the regime’s five-year strategy on foreign policy, military posture and nuclear development.

Power in Pyongyang has passed through three generations of the Kim family since the country’s founding. While questions remain about naming a female successor in a traditionally patriarchal state, Ju Ae’s elevation underscores Kim Jong Un’s apparent intent to preserve dynastic continuity and consolidate long-term political control.