The assessment, disclosed Thursday by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), is based on what officials described as a “range of circumstances,” including the child’s repeated appearances alongside her father at military ceremonies, weapons tests, and major political occasions. Analysts view such public exposure as a significant signal in a country where leadership transitions are typically choreographed years in advance.
The NIS said it will closely monitor whether the 12-year-old attends the upcoming Workers’ Party congress, the nation’s most important political gathering, held every five years in North Korea. Participation would be seen as further evidence of her emerging political profile.
Kim Ju Ae first appeared publicly in 2022 during an intercontinental ballistic missile launch inspection, drawing global attention. Since then, she has accompanied her father to military parades and official inspections, an unusual level of exposure for a leader’s child in the secretive state. She was also seen during a recent visit to Beijing and at ceremonies linked to events in Tiananmen Square, according to regional reports.
Little verified information exists about Kim’s family life, as foreign media access is tightly restricted. The existence of Kim Ju Ae was first widely reported in 2013 after former NBA star Dennis Rodman told reporters he had met her during a visit to Pyongyang. The British newspaper The Guardian cited Rodman as describing Kim as a devoted father.
Kim Jong Un is believed to have three children, though only Ju Ae has appeared publicly. Reports suggest there may be an older son and a younger child whose identity remains undisclosed. Even Kim’s wife, Ri Sol Ju, was kept out of public view for several years after their reported 2009 marriage before being introduced officially in 2012.
Leadership succession in North Korea has historically followed a dynastic pattern, passing from Kim Il Sung to Kim Jong Il and then to Kim Jong Un. If confirmed, the grooming of a daughter would mark a notable evolution in the country’s traditionally male-dominated power structure.
Experts caution that intelligence assessments do not amount to formal confirmation and note that succession decisions in Pyongyang are rarely explicit until power actually changes hands. Still, Ju Ae’s rising profile is being watched closely by regional governments and security analysts as a potential indicator of North Korea’s long-term political trajectory.
