The leader of North Korea (North Korea), Kim Jong Un, has reportedly named his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his potential successor. Then, who exactly? Kim Ju Ae ‘The Heir’ to the throne in North Korea?
Reported AFPSunday (15/2/2026), news about Kim Jong Un’s decision to appoint Ju Ae as his successor was conveyed by a member of the South Korean parliament, Lee Seong-kweun, after a briefing from the Intelligence Agency (NIS). Lee said the NIS considered that Ju Ae was now clearly ‘appointed as the successor’.
This conclusion was drawn from various indicators, including the increasing frequency of Ju Ae appearing at official state events. According to Lee, NIS also saw signs that Ju Ae was starting to be involved in government policy discussions.
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
The Kim family has ruled North Korea for decades with its powerful ‘Paektu bloodline’ cult. In recent years, Ju Ae has been seen in public accompanying Kim Jong Un on various strategic agendas, including military activities and state events.
North Korean state media last January showed Ju Ae paying respects with her father at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the burial place of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. This moment is considered to strengthen speculation about his status as successor.
Profile Kim Ju Eye
Reported BBC And IndependentKim Ju Ae is believed to be currently 13 years old. Ju Ae is the daughter of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju.
News about Ju Ae’s whereabouts first emerged through an unexpected source, namely American basketball player Dennis Rodman. In 2013, he revealed to The Guardian newspaper that he was ‘carrying baby Ju Ae’ during a trip to the closed country.
“I held their baby, Ju Ae, and also spoke with (wife Kim),” said Rodman, recounting the moments of his visit to North Korea.
|
Kim Jong Un and Kim Ju Ae in March 2024
|
Ju Ae’s figure was initially mysterious. In a closed briefing in 2023, the NIS informed South Korean politicians that Kim Ju Ae had never been enrolled in an official educational institution and was educated from home or home schooled in Pyongyang.
The report also explains that Ju Ae has hobbies such as horse riding, swimming and skiing. One of the participants in the briefing later told reporters that Kim Jong Un was said to be very satisfied with his daughter’s riding skills.
NIS reports Kim Ju Ae has an older brother and a younger sibling whose gender the agency has not been able to confirm. Until now, the two brothers have never been seen in public.
Ju Ae first appeared on state television in 2022. At that time, she was shown inspecting North Korea’s newest intercontinental ballistic missile while holding her father’s hand.
Since then, his number of appearances in North Korean state media has continued to increase. It transformed him from a quiet child at his father’s side into a familiar face at important national moments.
State media in North Korea, which usually does not mention her by name, now often describes Kim Ju Ae as ‘beloved’ or ‘revered’ or ‘a great guiding figure’.
Ju Ae’s appearance is also seen as an effort to soften her father’s image as a cruel dictator. Ju Ae once accompanied Kim Jong Un to Beijing for the largest military parade ever held in China, where she was seen getting off an armored train at Beijing Railway Station.
She often appears with long hair, which is forbidden for people her age, and wears designer clothes, which are unaffordable for most people in North Korea.
 Kim Ju Ae (white shirt) and Kim Jong Un in June 2025 (Photo: via REUTERS/KCNA) |
A November 2023 state media photo places him in the foreground, with his father in the background. It was a moment that analysts said would not have happened without Kim Jong Un’s approval.
In a rare moment of public display of father-son love, Kim Jong Un and Ju Ae kissed each other on the cheek during the 2024 New Year’s Eve celebration at a Pyongyang stadium filled with residents.
In recent months, Kim Ju Ae has also been seen taller than her father and walking beside Kim Jong Un, instead of following him. In North Korea, where photos published by state media are believed to have great symbolic weight, it is rare for an individual other than Kim Jong Un to be positioned prominently in the frame.
This year, Kim Ju Ae also joined her father in receiving foreign dignitaries and was highlighted above Kim Jong Un’s senior aides in state media coverage of key government events.
The figure of women in the North Korean government is nothing new. Currently, there is Kim Kong’s sister Un, who holds a senior position in the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and reportedly has strong influence over her brother.
Also watch the video “Measuring Kim Jong Un’s Goals for Bringing His Daughter on a State Visit to China”
Page 2 of 3
(summer/summer)
date:2026-02-15 04:06:00
Related reading