Kim Jong Un’s Succession Plan: Daughter Has Younger Sibling, Seoul Says

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, is believed to have a younger sibling whose gender remains unknown, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service. The assessment provides new details about the structure of North Korea’s ruling family, after Seoul’s spy agency had previously said Kim Jong Un was believed to have three children without confirming their order of birth. Kim Ju Ae was first publicly introduced in 2022 when she appeared alongside her father at the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Since then, she has increasingly accompanied Kim Jong Un at major political events, strengthening speculation that she is being prepared to succeed him. The NIS said it currently assesses that Kim Ju Ae is being groomed as the successor and is aware of the existence of a younger sibling whose gender has not been established.

The South Korean intelligence agency said it was also continuing to verify reports about whether Kim Ju Ae has an older brother, although it believes that even if such a sibling exists, he is not positioned to become the successor. Kim Ju Ae has appeared with her father at several high-profile events since her public debut, including a prominent visit to Beijing. North Korean state media have also increasingly used descriptions of her such as “the beloved child” and “a great person of guidance”, or “hyangdo” in Korean. The term is traditionally associated with senior leaders and their successors, adding to speculation about her future role in the country’s leadership. The Kim family has ruled North Korea for decades, with the country’s political system built around the leadership of the ruling family and its “Paektu bloodline.”

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