Seoul (TDI): North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, who is widely assessed to be the country’s likely successor, is believed to have a younger sibling, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said Thursday.
The NIS said it currently assesses that Kim Ju Ae is being groomed as the next leader and has a younger sibling whose gender remains unknown. South Korean intelligence has previously assessed that Kim Jong Un has three children, although their birth order has remained unclear.
Kim Ju Ae was first publicly introduced in 2022 when she appeared alongside her father during the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Since then, she has increasingly accompanied Kim Jong Un at major political and military events, including a high-profile visit to Beijing.
The NIS said it was still investigating whether Kim Ju Ae has an older brother. However, it assessed that even if an older brother exists, he is unlikely to be positioned as the successor.
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The Kim family has ruled North Korea for decades, with the country’s political system built around the leadership’s so-called “Paektu bloodline.” Kim Ju Ae’s growing public profile has further fuelled speculation about the future succession of the isolated nuclear-armed state.
North Korean state media have described her as the “beloved child” and used the term “hyangdo,” meaning a guiding figure, a designation generally associated with senior leaders and potential successors.
