Kim Jong-un's daughter a 'strong contender' to succeed father, says South Korea's spy agency

South Korea's spy agency believes the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a strong contender to succeed her father.

Kim Ju-ae, left, sits next to her father Kim Jong-un, incumbent leader of North Korea, during a military parade in Pyongyang in September last year. The photo was carried by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). [YONHAP]

South Korea's spy agency believes the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a strong contender to succeed her father.

Cho Tae-yong, the nominee for director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), included the assessment in a written statement to lawmakers on Thursday.

He said the belief is based on her involvement in various activities since her initial public appearance in 2022 and the considerable respect she has garnered.

This marks the first time the South Korean intelligence agency has acknowledged that the daughter, expected to turn 11 this year, might inherit power from her father.

North Korea's supreme leadership has remained in the Kim clan for three generations.

The NIS director-nominee was responding to a question posed by a Democratic Party lawmaker on the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee during his confirmation hearing.

However, Cho stressed the importance of closely monitoring the situation, considering other variables such as Ju-ae’s siblings.

“The NIS believes Kim Jong-un has additional children apart from Ju-ae, born in 2013,” he said.

However, Cho said the sexes of the other children remain unknown.

“We remain open to all possibilities as Kim Jong-un is still young and healthy,” he said.

Until September of last year, the NIS was skeptical about Kim Jong-un passing the regime to his daughter, citing North Korea's obsession with the so-called “Mount Paektu bloodline,” which refers to the lineage of the Kims, tracing back to the founder of North Korea, Kim Il Sung.

The NIS at the time noted that it was too early to make a definitive judgment.

Kim Ju-ae made her first public appearance alongside her father during Pyongyang's new Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test on Nov. 18, 2022.

Since her debut, she has been observed making more frequent public appearances, participating in events such as a military rally and, most recently, a New Year's event alongside her father.

While Ju-ae is thought to be the second among three children, she is the only one who has been publicly acknowledged.

Her public appearance was a surprise since the children of North Korean leaders usually keep a low profile until they reach adulthood or are officially designated as successors.

Kim Jong-un began preparations to succeed his father, Kim Jong-il, in 2011, two years before the elder Kim's death.

Kim Jong-un's initial public appearance occurred in 2010 during the Third Conference of the Workers' Party of Korea.

This was also when his succession became evident, as he was appointed vice chairman of the Party's Central Military Commission.

In November, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that North Korea referred to the daughter, Ju-ae, as a “rising star female general” during a lecture commemorating the launch of its reconnaissance satellite.

South Korean lawmaker Rep. Tae Yong-ho stated that if the report is accurate, it could indicate that North Korea is grooming Ju-ae to succeed her father.

Tae, a former North Korean diplomat, drew parallels with a previous campaign involving Ju-ae's father, where he was referred to as “Captain Kim” in 2009 as part of the idolization process.

BY LEE HO-JEONG, LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]