North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has selected his daughter as his heir, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday.
Little is known about Kim Ju Ae, who in recent months has been pictured beside her father in high-profile events like a visit to Beijing in September—her first known trip abroad.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it took a range of circumstances into account, including her increasingly prominent public presence at official events, in making this assessment.
The NIS also mentioned it would closely monitor whether she will attend the North's party congress later this month, a major political event held once every five years.
During Congress, Pyongyang is expected to outline its priorities, including plans regarding foreign relations, military strategy, and nuclear aspirations for the coming years.
On Thursday, lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen stated that Ju Ae had entered a successor designation phase based on her active participation in events and her potential involvement in state policies.
Ju Ae is the only publicly acknowledged child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. The NIS has suggested the leader may have an older son who remains unmentioned in state media.
Ju Ae's existence first became public when Dennis Rodman revealed in 2013 that he had held baby Ju Ae during a visit to North Korea.
Believed to be 13 years old, she was first seen on state television in 2022, inspecting a ballistic missile alongside her father.
While the NIS indicates Ju Ae is viewed as the heir, analysts are puzzled by this decision in a country where patriarchal norms prevail. Some question why a female child would be chosen over an older son, although Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, presents some precedent for female authority.
Even though Kim Jong Un appears healthy and relatively young, appointing his daughter as a successor raises additional questions about the regime's direction and Ju Ae's potential influence on future North Korean policy.
