North Korean leader Kim's likely successor named
North Korea appears to have moved into the phase of formally designating leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, as his successor, according to South Korea’s intelligence agency.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) shared the assessment during a closed-door briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee, lawmakers Park Sun-won and Lee Seong-kweun told reporters on Thursday, News.Az reports, citing Yonhap.
Lee said that Ju-ae’s growing public visibility, including appearances at the founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army and her recent visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, has been accompanied by indications that she has voiced opinions on certain state policies. Based on these developments, the NIS now believes she has entered the “successor designation” stage.
The latest assessment marks a shift from the agency’s earlier evaluation, which described Ju-ae as being in a “training” phase as the “most likely successor.” The updated view suggests a more concrete step toward formal succession.
The intelligence service said it will closely monitor whether Ju-ae attends North Korea’s key party congress scheduled for later this month. Observers believe that if she appears at the congress or receives an official title during the event, speculation that she is being groomed as the next leader will intensify.
In January 2024, the NIS for the first time publicly assessed Ju-ae, believed to have been born in 2013, as the regime’s “most likely successor.” Earlier this year, she paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the mausoleum of the Kim family, marking her first visit to the site alongside her parents amid mounting succession speculation.
Separately, the NIS addressed the possibility of renewed dialogue between United States and North Korea. The agency said Pyongyang could respond to diplomatic overtures if certain conditions are met.
According to the NIS, North Korea has expressed dissatisfaction with a South Korea–U.S. fact sheet and the deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula. However, it has not ruled out talks with Washington and has refrained from directly criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump.
The agency also noted that Pyongyang appears to have avoided launching intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in order not to provoke Trump, who is considered particularly sensitive to such missile tests.
News.Az
By Nijat Babayev
