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Nazrin Abdul

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has designated his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his heir, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), which briefed lawmakers on Thursday, AzerNEWS reports, citing BBC.

The assessment marks the clearest indication yet that Kim Ju Ae - believed to be around 13 years old - is being groomed to lead the reclusive state.

The NIS said its conclusion was based on a “range of circumstances,” including her increasingly prominent role at high-profile state events. In recent months, she has appeared frequently alongside her father, attending major military and political ceremonies. In September, she accompanied him to Beijing - her first known trip abroad.

Lawmakers said the intelligence agency is closely watching whether Kim Ju Ae attends North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party congress later this month. Held once every five years, the congress is the country’s most significant political gathering and is expected to outline Pyongyang’s priorities for the next five years, including foreign policy, military strategy and nuclear development.

Lawmaker Lee Seong-kwen told reporters that Kim Ju Ae had moved from what was previously described as “successor training” to what the NIS now considers the “successor designation” stage.

“She has appeared at major national events, including the founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army and a visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun,” Lee said. “There are also signs that she has begun expressing views on certain state policies. Based on this, the NIS believes she has entered the stage of being formally designated as successor.”

Kim Ju Ae is the only publicly known child of Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. South Korean intelligence believes the North Korean leader also has an older son, though he has never been publicly acknowledged or shown in state media.

The world first learned of Kim Ju Ae’s existence through an unlikely source: former NBA star Dennis Rodman. After visiting North Korea in 2013, Rodman told The Guardian that he had “held baby Ju Ae” during his trip.

She made her first appearance on North Korean state television in 2022, when she was shown holding her father’s hand while inspecting an intercontinental ballistic missile—an image that drew global attention and fueled speculation about her future role in the regime.

If confirmed, her designation would signal the continuation of the Kim family’s dynastic rule into a fourth generation.