South Korea says Kim Jong Un’s daughter has entered a ‘successor’ stage. The reality is murkier

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South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) told lawmakers last week that it believes Kim Jong Un has entered a stage of “internally designating” his daughter as successor.

So what? The reality is murkier. Kim Ju Ae, believed to be around 13, has been featured more prominently in state media in recent months. But, although the spy agency’s assessment carries weight, this does not amount to a formal coronation. Instead it

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  leave open the question of whether visibility equals succession;

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  signals a fourth generation of Kim rule without legally naming one; and

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  reinforces Kim Jong Un’s image as a paternal leader to his daughter and to the nation.

There will be blood. North Korea is formally a one-party state ruled by the Workers’ Party of Korea, but in practice it is a hereditary dictatorship. Power has passed from Kim Il Sung to Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un in a dynastic system built on bloodline legitimacy.

Here, there, everywhere. Since late 2022, Ju Ae has appeared with increasing frequency at missile tests, military anniversaries and state ceremonies. In September, she accompanied her father on a visit to China. This was the first time a North Korean leader has taken a child on an official foreign trip before adulthood.

Next up. According to lawmakers, the NIS believes she now ranks second in official protocol and voices opinions during inspections. The agency previously described her as being in “successor training”, but last week upgraded its language to suggest internal designation.

Reasons for caution. The NIS did not say Ju Ae has been formally named as Kim Jong Un’s successor, nor did it present evidence of a decree or institutional change. She holds no formal party or military title, which are steps that traditionally precede succession. Kim Jong Un himself was unveiled as heir in his late 20s and rapidly promoted before assuming power.

Even her name is unconfirmed. “Ju Ae” first entered the public domain via the former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who has called Kim Jong Un a “friend for life” and said in 2013 that he had held his newborn daughter. A decade later, South Korean authorities adopted the same name for the girl introduced in state media. But it has never officially been published.

Other questions. North Korea is deeply patriarchal. While Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong holds senior roles, a female supreme leader would mark a break with precedent. Some analysts speculate that an undisclosed son could still emerge.

Jumping the gun. Kim Jong Un is in his 40s and shows no obvious signs of ill health. Succession in North Korea depends not just on bloodline, but also on perceived suitability, elite consensus and control of the party and military apparatus.

So why show her now? Even if it is too early to call her the heir apparent, Kim Jong Un’s decision to let his daughter stand by his side at high-profile events is meaningful. In the tightly choreographed imagery of Pyongyang, positioning signals status.

Different audiences. To the outside world, Ju Ae’s emergence projects the future certainty of Kim’s rule. Domestically, it supports an image of Kim as a caring father figure.

What’s more… Attention turns to the Workers’ Party congress this month, when observers will look for further clues such as a formal title, protocol shift or rule change. Kim Ju Ae is clearly being elevated. But whether she will rule North Korea one day remains to be seen.

Photograph by AFP Photo / KCNA via KNS