South Korea’s intelligence agency has told lawmakers it now regards Kim Ju-ae as a probable heir, citing credible intelligence and a marked escalation in her public role — particularly in military settings.
North Korea signals dynastic shift
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has, for the first time, explicitly identified the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a potential successor, according to lawmakers briefed behind closed doors on April 6.
The key takeaway from the briefing was a significant upgrade in the agency’s assessment of Kim Ju-ae’s status. Lawmakers Park Sun-won of the Democratic Party and Lee Seong-gwon of the People Power Party said the NIS made a direct and unambiguous shift in its language. Quoting NIS director Lee Jong-seok, they said: “Kim Ju-ae may be regarded as a successor,” adding that this conclusion is “not based on isolated indicators but on credible intelligence.”
The agency noted that Kim Ju-ae has increasingly appeared in defence-related settings, with her participation in military events presented in a highly demonstrative manner. State media footage showing her operating a tank, for instance, is seen as an attempt to highlight her military credentials. It also mirrors the public image cultivated by Kim Jong Un himself during his own period as heir, when he was similarly associated with military hardware.
According to the NIS, these appearances are designed to shape perceptions of a future leader. “This is assessed as an effort to dispel doubts about a female successor and to accelerate the construction of a succession narrative,” the agency said. In a related observation, it added that such displays aim to reinforce legitimacy and normalise the idea of hereditary transfer of power to a woman.
From preparation to confirmation
Lawmakers also pointed to a notable shift in the intelligence agency’s terminology. Park Sun-won said that whereas earlier reports referred to “preparation for a leadership role,” the NIS now uses the term “female successor,” indicating a clear elevation in status. “This is no longer about a preparatory process,” he said, “but about consolidating her position as heir.”
The briefing also highlighted changes in the portrayal of Kim Jong Un himself. Recent party and parliamentary events have placed greater emphasis on his personal authority, while diminishing references to his predecessors, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.
During the latest session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, the North’s parliament, the NIS observed that the narrative focused heavily on Kim Jong Un as the central force of the state. At the same time, there were “attempts to reduce the role of previous leaders,” including fewer references to the state ideology of “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism.”
Kim Yo-jong strengthens her role
Personnel reshuffles were also interpreted as part of a broader consolidation of power. The NIS reported a generational shift, with older officials being replaced by loyal cadres from within the party apparatus — moves that “enable Kim Jong Un to tighten control over policymaking.”
Separately, the agency noted the institutionalisation of a so-called “two-state model.” Party documents have dropped language related to Korean reunification, signalling a formalisation of a more hardline stance.
The NIS also reported that Kim Yo-jong, the leader’s younger sister, has strengthened her position within the ruling hierarchy. She has reportedly rejoined the Politburo of the Workers’ Party of Korea and assumed a role that allows her to act as a close aide to Kim Jong Un, overseeing the implementation of his directives.
