{"id":21172,"date":"2026-02-12T13:54:37","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T13:54:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=21172"},"modified":"2026-02-12T13:54:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T13:54:37","slug":"kim-close-to-naming-daughter-as-future-north-korean-leader-south-believes-north-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=21172","title":{"rendered":"Kim close to naming daughter as future North Korean leader, South believes | North Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"

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South Korea\u2019s spy agency has told lawmakers it believes the teenage daughter of Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator, is close to being designated as the country\u2019s future leader, as Kim moves to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation.<\/p>\n

The assessment by the national intelligence service (NIS) comes as North Korea<\/a> is preparing to hold its biggest political conference later this month, where Kim is expected to outline his main policy goals for the next five years and take steps to tighten his authoritarian grip.<\/p>\n

In a closed-door briefing, NIS officials said they were closely monitoring whether Kim\u2019s daughter, believed to be called Kim Ju-ae and about 13 years old, would appear with him before thousands of delegates at the Workers\u2019 party congress, said Lee Seong Kweun, a lawmaker who attended the meeting.<\/p>\n

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Ju-ae first appeared in public at a long-range missile test in November 2022 and has since accompanied her father to an increasing number of events<\/a> including weapons tests, military parades and factory openings. She travelled with him to Beijing last September for Kim\u2019s first summit with Xi Jinping in six years, on the sidelines of a second world war memorial event.<\/p>\n

Speculation about her political future intensified last month when she joined her parents on a New Year\u2019s Day visit<\/a> to Pyongyang\u2019s Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a sacred family mausoleum displaying the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather, the country\u2019s first- and second-generation leaders. Some experts saw the visit as the clearest sign yet that she was being position as heir to her 42-year-old father.<\/p>\n

South Korean officials initially expressed doubt that she would be chosen as a North Korean leader, citing the country\u2019s deeply conservative culture and tradition of male-dominated leadership. But her increasingly prominent appearances in state media have prompted a reassessment.<\/p>\n

In its previous assessment of Ju-ae\u2019s status, in September the NIS told lawmakers that Kim\u2019s decision to bring her on his trip to China was probably part of an effort to build a \u201cnarrative\u201d, possibly paving the way for her succession.<\/p>\n

Lee said: \u201cIn the past, [the NIS] described Kim Ju-ae as being in the midst of \u2018successor training\u2019. What was notable today is that they used the term \u2018successor-designate stage\u2019, a shift that\u2019s quite significant.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Lee, the agency cited her growing presence at high-profile military events, her inclusion in the family visit to Kumsusan, and signs that Kim was beginning to seek her input on certain policy matters.<\/p>\n

Not much is known about Kim\u2019s daughter. Despite her increased visibility in propaganda, North Korean state media have never published her name, referring to her as his \u201crespected\u201d or \u201cmost beloved\u201d child.<\/p>\n

The belief that she is named Kim Ju-ae is based on an account by the former NBA star Dennis Rodman in which he recalled holding Kim\u2019s baby daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013. South Korean intelligence officials believe she was born sometime that year.<\/p>\n

In 2023, South Korea\u2019s spy agency told lawmakers that Kim and his wife also probably have an older son and a younger third child, whose gender is unknown.<\/p>\n

Since North Korea\u2019s foundation in 1948, it has been ruled by male members of the Kim family, beginning with the country\u2019s founder, Kim Il-sung, and followed by his son, Kim Jong-il.<\/p>\n

Kim Jong-un was just 26 when he was officially named heir during a 2010 party conference, two years after Kim Jong-il had a debilitating stroke. After his father\u2019s death in December 2011, Kim Jong-un<\/a> was abruptly thrust into the throne with relatively little preparation.<\/p>\n

Some analysts suggest Kim\u2019s decision to give his daughter and early debut may reflect his own experience of being rushed into power.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

#Kim #close #naming #daughter #future #North #Korean #leader #South #believes #North #Korea<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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