Little is known about Kim’s daughter Jue, who made her first public appearance in 2022, but it appears she is set to succeed her father.
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Published February 12, 2026
South Korea’s spy agency believes North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is preparing to name his daughter Kim Jue as his successor, upping its previous assessment that the boy is “the most likely successor.”
According to South Korea’s state-run Yonhap news agency, the National Intelligence Service in Seoul broke the news to lawmakers in a closed-door conference on Thursday. Their intelligence findings were later shared with the media by South Korean politicians Park Sung-won and Lee Sung-won.
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“Kim Ju Ae’s presence continues to be emphasized at events such as recent Armed Forces Day ceremonies and visits to the Geumsusan Palace of the Sun, and there are even signs that he is voicing his opinions on some policies,” Lee told reporters, according to Yonhap News.
“I believe she has entered the stage of selecting a successor,” Lee said.
Geumsusan Palace of the Sun is considered one of the most important places in North Korea, as it is the final resting place of North Korea’s great leader Kim Il Sung, his son, and dear leader Kim Jong Il (Mr. Cash’s grandfather and father, and Mr. Chue’s great-grandfather and grandfather).
Yonhap News reports that speculation about her path to succession will “gain momentum” if Choe attends or wins the title at the ruling Workers’ Party congress later this month, which analysts believe is a key political event where major policy goals will be revealed.
Little is known about Kim’s daughter, including her official age, but she is believed to be in her teens.
Her first public appearance was at North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile test in 2022, and she has since been photographed with her father at numerous events across the country.
In January, she attended a test launch of a large-caliber multiple rocket launch system with her father and was photographed by the Korean Central News Agency in Pyongyang.
She was also due to travel by armored train to Beijing with her father in September to attend a military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II, where she would mingle with leaders of both China and Russia.
Seoul’s intelligence agency also said Kim is currently leading the development of a large submarine that could carry up to 10 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and could be designed to be powered by a nuclear reactor, according to Politicians Park and Lee.
