Kim Jong Un will officially make his daughter his successor. | Image: AP/File
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is about to officially make his minor daughter, Kim Ju Ae, the country’s next leader. This claim is being made in a report from South Korea.
It is being told that Kim Joo Ae is only 13 years old. She was revealed to the world for the first time in a long-range missile test in 2022 and since then she has been with her father.
Seen many times in military events
After her first appearance in 2022, Kim Ju A was often seen accompanying her father at major military events, at domestic project inspections, when receiving foreign guests, on factory visits, as well as at a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in September 2025.
In January 2026, Kim Ju A was seen with her parents at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the embalmed bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are kept. Many observers have suggested that this visit could be seen as a projection of him as the heir to the legacy of his grandfather and father.
According to foreign policy experts, Kim Ju A’s presence at these high-profile events shows that her father has started taking input from her on important policy matters. It is expected that Kim Jong Un can officialize his succession plan at the Workers’ Party Congress in late February.
Possibility of getting the second highest post of the party
Many experts have said that Kim Ju Ae can first be made the First Secretary of the Central Committee, which is the second highest post of the party. However, according to party rules, members must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible for this.
Multiple reports suggest that Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, may have an older son and a younger third child, the gender of which is unknown.
Some reports suggest that state media now call her ‘beloved’ or ‘a great person to guide’, but she has never confirmed that she will succeed her father. The island country has also issued postage stamps featuring him and his father.
First time female dictator?
According to some foreign policy experts, this move to nominate a ‘successor-designate’ may be an attempt to normalize the idea of accepting female leaders in a culture that has generally been against female leadership. North Korea has always been ruled by male members of the Kim family since its founding in 1948, first by Kim Il Sung, then Kim Jong Il and now Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Un was officially made heir apparent in 2010 at the age of 26, two years after his father suffered a stroke. He took power after the death of Kim Jong Il in 2011.
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