Kim Ju-Ae, the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, is about 13 years old. She has been photographed or appeared at high-profile events with her father, including firing sniper rifles, watching missile launches, on state visits, at military parades, driving a tank, and visiting a munitions factory. North Korean state media has been releasing propaganda footage of Kim Ju-Ae and her father to build her image as a potential leader.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service assesses that Kim Ju-Ae can be considered Kim Jong-Un's successor. The NIS said North Korean authorities organized events like Kim Ju-Ae driving a tank to build her military credentials and dispel skepticism about a woman successor. Intelligence reports indicate Kim Ju-Ae has been appointed 'Missile General Director', reflecting putative control over North Korea's military and weapons arsenal.
Kim Jong-Un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, has no substantial powers according to the NIS. There are suggestions of a palace power struggle between Kim Ju-Ae and her aunt, Kim Yo-jong. Some observers disagree with the NIS assessment, saying North Korea's male-centered society won't likely embrace a woman leader and that Kim Jong-Un is too young to name a successor.
North Korea has been successively ruled by male members of the Kim family since 1948. Whispers from Pyongyang suggest Kim Jong-Un has an older son with serious health issues or disabilities who has been hidden. Kim Ju-Ae's reported name is based on an account by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who recalled holding Kim Jong-Un's baby daughter in 2013.
Kim Ju-Ae's official title or role in North Korea's government or military has not been publicly confirmed. The health status of Kim Jong-Un and how it impacts succession planning is also unknown. It is unclear how North Korean elites and the military view the prospect of a female successor.
Further unknowns include whether Kim Jong-Un has other children, particularly an older son with health issues as suggested by whispers. Specific events or criteria that will determine if and when Kim Ju-Ae is formally designated as successor remain unspecified. The implications of a potential female successor for North Korea's future are profound, potentially challenging long-standing patriarchal norms within the Kim dynasty.