Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is widely regarded as one of the world’s most powerful and enigmatic figures, with state propaganda often portraying him as possessing near-supernatural qualities.
According to international media reports, although Kim does not formally hold a parliamentary or conventional governmental title, he remains the most powerful authority in the country.
In recent years, Kim Jong Un has periodically disappeared from public view, fueling speculation about his health and triggering rumors that he may be suffering from a serious illness.
These rumors intensified when his 38-year-old sister, Kim Yo Jong, began appearing prominently at political and state functions.
During that period, Kim Yo Jong was entrusted with several key responsibilities and emerged as one of the most influential figures in the regime in her brother’s absence. However, Kim Jong Un never signaled that he intended to designate her as his successor.
While discussions about Kim Yo Jong’s possible succession were still circulating, Kim Jong Un surprised observers by introducing his 12-year-old daughter, Kim Ju Ae, into the public spotlight for the first time.
Since then, Kim Ju Ae has accompanied her father to major political events and even sensitive military occasions, while Kim Yo Jong’s public prominence has comparatively diminished.
Although Kim Jong Un has not officially declared his daughter as his successor, analysts note that her increasing visibility—particularly at high-profile military events—suggests she may be undergoing grooming for future leadership.
Some observers had also speculated that Kim’s wife, 37-year-old Ri Sol Ju, who has remained active at official events since 2012, could potentially play a significant political role.
However, among all family members, Kim Ju Ae appears most frequently alongside the leader, including at highly symbolic and strategic engagements.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has reportedly briefed lawmakers that Kim Jong Un has decided to designate his teenage daughter as his successor. The agency cited recent patterns of her public appearances as supporting evidence.
South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun told reporters that earlier speculation about Kim Ju Ae’s succession has now progressed toward what appears to be a formal stage of nomination.
Who Is Kim Ju Ae?
Kim Ju Ae is the only publicly acknowledged child of Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol Ju. However, South Korean intelligence agencies believe the North Korean leader may have an older son, though this has never been officially confirmed or mentioned in state media.
Her name first surfaced in 2013 when former American basketball star Dennis Rodman told a British newspaper that he had held “baby Ju Ae” during a visit to North Korea.
Kim Ju Ae made her first appearance on state television in 2022, accompanying her father during an inspection of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch. Since then, she has been seen at multiple military and state events, including celebrations marking the anniversary of the Korean People’s Army and visits to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the mausoleum of North Korea’s founding leaders.
In state-released images, she is often shown standing shoulder to shoulder with her father—an image carrying powerful symbolic weight in North Korea’s tightly controlled and hierarchical political system.
