By: Eugene Upah
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has officially elevated its assessment of Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, stating she has now entered the formal stage of being designated as his successor.
In a closed-door briefing to lawmakers on Thursday, February 12, 2026, the NIS revealed that the 13-year-old is no longer merely “undergoing training” but is being positioned as the de facto heir to the Kim dynasty.
The assessment marks a significant upgrade in the teenage daughter’s political profile. According to South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen, the NIS based this conclusion on a “range of circumstances,” including her increasingly prominent role at official state functions and signs that she has begun providing input on national policies.
“As Kim Ju Ae has shown her presence at various events… and signs have been detected of her voicing her opinion on certain state policies, the NIS believes she has now entered the stage of being designated as successor,” Lee told reporters.
Intelligence officials and analysts point to several symbolic and practical shifts in Ju Ae’s public life:
International Presence: In September 2025, she made her first known trip abroad, accompanying her father on a high-profile visit to Beijing.
State media has frequently photographed her standing alongside or even slightly in front of her father—a notable break from North Korean protocol that typically emphasizes the leader’s solitary status.
Intelligence suggests she has begun providing policy input during field inspections and military events, such as the founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army.
The international community is now closely watching the North’s 9th Workers’ Party Congress, scheduled for later this month. As the country’s largest political event, held once every five years, the Congress is expected to outline North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and war planning for the next half-decade.
The NIS stated it will “intensively monitor” Ju Ae’s participation, her protocol ranking, and whether state media begins using her real name or official titles, which would confirm her status as the fourth generation of the Kim family to hold power.
If Ju Ae succeeds her father, she would become the first female ruler in the history of the North Korean regime. While her rise challenges the country’s deeply patriarchal traditions, her early debut—inspecting an ICBM at age nine—suggests a calculated effort by Kim Jong Un to ensure a stable and undisputed transition of power.
