02/13/2026
Wo
She is just 13. Yet she stands beside her father at missile launches, military parades, and weapons factory inspections.
According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Kim Jong Un is now in what they call the “successor designation stage” with his daughter, widely believed to be named Kim Ju Ae.
North Korea has never officially confirmed her name. State media refers to her only as his “respected” or “most beloved” child. The name Kim Ju Ae traces back to former NBA player Dennis Rodman, who said he held Kim’s baby daughter during a 2013 visit to Pyongyang. South Korean intelligence believes she was born that year.
She first appeared publicly in November 2022 during an intercontinental ballistic missile test. Since then, she has been photographed at military events, factory visits, and major ceremonies. In January 2026, she visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun with her parents on New Year’s Day, a highly symbolic location where the embalmed bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie. Analysts viewed that appearance as a significant signal.
Recent images show her walking alongside her father rather than behind him, a detail that carries meaning in North Korea’s tightly choreographed political culture.
The intelligence agency is now watching whether she appears at the upcoming Workers’ Party Congress. If she attends or receives an official title, speculation about her future role will intensify.
North Korea has been ruled by three generations of men from the Kim family since 1948. If confirmed, her designation would mark the first time a woman is positioned to inherit leadership of the country.
For now, this remains an assessment from South Korea’s intelligence officials. North Korea has made no public statement.
