North Korea’s Kim Jong Un sets stage for daughter as his successor: Seoul

Little is known about Kim’s daughter, Ju Ae, who made her first public appearance in 2022 but appears set to be her father’s successor.Published On 12 Feb 2026South Korea’s spy agency believes that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is preparing to designate his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his successor, increasing the agency’s earlier assessment of the teenager being the “most likely successor”.The National Intelligence Service in Seoul informed legislators of the news during a closed-door briefing on Thursday, according to South Korea’s official Yonhap News Agency. Their intelligence agency’s findings were later shared with the media by South Korean politicians Park Seon-won and Lee Seong-gwon.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Breaking with Trump, US House votes to pass a bill ending Canada tariffslist 2 of 4Russia evacuates tourists from Cuba as US-engineered fuel crisis deepenslist 3 of 4Trump orders Pentagon to buy electricity generated by coallist 4 of 4Two children killed in drone strike on mosque in central Sudan: Doctorsend of list“Kim Ju Ae’s presence continues to be highlighted at events such as the recent Armed Forces Day ceremony and her visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, and there are even signs that she is expressing opinions on some policies,” Lee told reporters, according to Yonhap.“We believe that she has now entered the succession selection stage,” Lee said.Kumsusan Palace of the Sun is considered one of the most important places in North Korea as the final resting place of the country’s Great Leader Kim Il Sung and his son Dear Leader Kim Jong Il – the current Kim’s grandfather and father, and Ju Ae’s great-grandfather and grandfather.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae visit the newly built Kalma coastal tourist area in Wonsan, North Korea, in December 2024 [Korean Central News Agency via Reuters]Yonhap reports that if Ju Ae attends or receives a title at the ruling Workers’ Party congress later this month, a key political event that analysts believe will see major policy goals unveiled, speculation about her path to succession will “gain traction”.