Kim Jong Un designates teen daughter as heir, report claims

After months of speculation, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly chosen his daughter as his heir, as per the North Korean press reports.

The announcement comes amid rumors that Kim Jong Un has selected his daughter, who has in the previous few months been spotted together with Kim in rare public events.

“We previously described Kim Ju-ae as undergoing successor training, but we now judge that she has entered the ‘designated successor’ stage,” said the National Intelligence Service (NIS) on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's daughter, Kim Ju-ae, as reported by the Korean newspaper The Chosun.

The publication further reported, citing the two National Assembly Intelligence Committee members—Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Sun-won and People Power Party lawmaker Lee Seong-gwon, both floor leaders.

While revealing details of the committee briefing, lawmaker Lee Seong-gwon told reporters that Ju Ae, who was previously described by the NIS as being “trained” to be a successor, was now at the stage of “successor designation.”

"As Kim Ju Ae has shown her presence at various events, including the founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army and her visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, and signs have been detected of her voicing her opinion on certain state policies, the NIS believes she has now entered the stage of being designated as successor,” Lee said.

Who is Kim Ju Ae?

Ju Ae is the only publicly identified child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju.

The NIS believes Kim Jong Un has an older son, but this son has never been acknowledged nor shown on North Korean state media, as reported by BBC.

Dennis Rodman, the American basketball player, was the unlikely revealer who first confirmed Ju Ae’s existence.

Rodman revealed in an interview with The Guardian back in 2013 that he “held baby Ju Ae” during a trip to the secretive state.

Ju Ae, who is said to be 13, made her debut public appearance on state television in 2022.

The state media showed the telecast of the footage showing her inspecting North Korea’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile as she held her father’s hand.

Since then, Kim Ju Ae has made regular public appearances on state media.