3 months ago
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South Korea's spy bureau told lawmakers connected Thursday (February 12, 2026) that it believes the teenage girl of North Korean person Kim Jong Un is adjacent to being designated arsenic the country's aboriginal person arsenic helium moves to widen the household dynasty to a 4th generation.
The appraisal by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) comes arsenic North Korea is preparing to clasp its biggest governmental league aboriginal this month, wherever Kim is expected to outline his large argumentation goals for the adjacent 5 years and instrumentality steps to tighten his authoritarian grip.
In a closed-door briefing, NIS officials said they are intimately monitoring whether Kim's girl — believed to beryllium named Kim Ju Ae and astir 13 years aged — appears with him earlier thousands of delegates astatine the upcoming Workers' Party Congress, said lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who attended the meeting.
First appearing successful nationalist astatine a long-range rocket trial successful November 2022, Kim Ju Ae has since accompanied her begetter to an expanding fig of events, including weapons tests, subject parades and mill openings. She travelled with him to Beijing past September for Kim's archetypal acme with Chinese person Xi Jinping successful six years connected the sidelines of a World War II event.
Speculation astir her governmental aboriginal intensified past period erstwhile she joined her parents connected a New Year's Day sojourn to Pyongyang's Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a ineffable household mausoleum displaying the embalmed bodies of her precocious gramps and great-grandfather, the country's first- and second-generation leaders. Some experts saw the sojourn arsenic the clearest motion yet that she's positioned to beryllium the heir to her 42-year-old father.
South Korean officials initially expressed uncertainty that she could beryllium chosen arsenic a North Korean leader, citing the country's profoundly blimpish civilization and contented of male-dominated leadership. But her progressively salient appearances successful authorities media person prompted a reassessment.
In its erstwhile appraisal of Kim Ju Ae's presumption successful September, the NIS told lawmakers that Kim Jong Un's determination to bring her on connected his travel to China was apt portion of an effort to physique a “narrative” perchance paving the mode for her succession.
“In the past, [NIS] described Kim Ju Ae arsenic being successful the midst of successor training.' What was notable contiguous is that they utilized the word successor-designate stage,' a displacement that's rather significant,” Lee said.
According to Lee, the bureau cited her increasing beingness astatine high-profile subject events, her inclusion successful the household sojourn to Kumsusan, and signs that Kim Jong Un was opening to question her input connected definite argumentation matters.
Not overmuch is known astir Kim's girl
Despite her accrued visibility successful propaganda, North Korean authorities media person ne'er published the sanction of Kim Jong Un's daughter, lone referring to her arsenic his “respected” oregon “most beloved” child.
The content that she is named Kim Ju Ae is based connected an relationship by erstwhile NBA prima Dennis Rodman, successful which helium recalled holding Kim Jong Un's babe girl during a travel to Pyongyang successful 2013. South Korean quality officials judge she was calved sometime that year.
In 2023, South Korea's spy bureau told lawmakers that Kim Jong Un and his woman besides apt person an older lad and a younger 3rd kid whose sex is unknown.
Since its instauration successful 1948, North Korea has been ruled by antheral members of the Kim family, opening with the country's laminitis Kim Il Sung and followed by his son, Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong Un was conscionable 26 erstwhile helium was officially named heir during a 2010 enactment conference, 2 years aft Kim Jong Il suffered a debilitating stroke. Following his father's decease successful December 2011, helium was abruptly thrust into the throne with comparatively small preparation.
Some analysts suggest that Kim Jong Un's determination to debut his girl aboriginal perchance reflects his ain acquisition of being rushed into power.
Party Congress whitethorn connection hints toward succession plans
Kim Ju Ae's archetypal known sojourn to Kumsusan past period was besides her father's archetypal sojourn to the tract successful 3 years. Given the palace's presumption arsenic a cardinal awesome of the Kim household rule, the travel should beryllium seen arsenic a symbolic motion by Kim Jong Un to contiguous his girl arsenic his heir earlier his gramps and begetter arsenic helium prepares for the large ruling Party Congress, said Cheong Seong-Chang, a elder expert astatine South Korea's Sejong Institute.
The Workers' Party legislature successful precocious February, past held successful 2016 and 2021, could supply a signifier for Kim Jong Un to formalise his succession plans, perchance by giving his girl the party's archetypal caput post, its No. 2 job, though specified a determination mightiness not beryllium instantly disclosed to the extracurricular world, Cheong said.
Other analysts question whether she would person specified a high-profile station oregon immoderate ceremonial enactment role, fixed that enactment rules necessitate members to beryllium astatine slightest 18.
If Kim Jong Un does usage the Party Congress to cement his girl arsenic successor, the signs would beryllium much subtle, said Koh Yu-hwan, erstwhile president of South Korea's Institute of National Unification.
For example, the enactment whitethorn contented self-praise astir however North Korea has survived longer than astir different Communist states and recognition that to however the state established a "successful inheritance of the revolution,” helium said.
“If you spot comments similar that, it would beryllium tenable to deliberation that Ju Ae has been cemented,” arsenic heir, Koh said.
