Kim Jong Un succession: NIS says daughter remains likely heir amid son query

Seoul,UPDATED: Sep 10, 2026 14:52 IST

South Korea's Intelligence Service said on Thursday that it is trying to determine whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has a son, while maintaining that his teenage daughter is the likely successor. The agency said that even if a son exists, he is not in a position to take over from Kim at present.

The NIS reaffirmed its earlier assessment that Kim's daughter, reported to be Kim Ju Ae and about 13 years old, is likely to inherit the North Korean leadership. Kim took power after the death of his father in 2011, and questions over his children have drawn attention because they are linked to possible succession plans in the North.

In its statement, the NIS said it was still trying to verify whether Kim's daughter has an elder brother, but added that under the current circumstances he cannot be his father's heir even if he exists. The agency also said Kim Jong Un has a younger child whose gender has not been confirmed. The statement did not explain in detail why the NIS believes Kim Ju Ae has a firm political position, though it had earlier cited a broad analysis of her public activities and the state protocols extended to her.

The statement appeared to be a response to a recent media report that South Korean intelligence authorities had concluded that Kim has no son with his wife, Ri Sol Ju. Since late 2022, Kim's daughter has accompanied him to several major events, including missile launches and large military parades. North Korean state media has described her as his "most beloved" or "respected" child, and has released footage and photographs showing their closeness and what observers see as her rising political standing.

Reports about her name are based on remarks by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who said he held Kim Jong Un's baby daughter during a 2013 visit to Pyongyang. In 2023, a South Korean lawmaker said the NIS had told a legislative committee that Kim Ju Ae had an older brother, but the agency later reportedly clarified that it was still trying to verify reports that Kim had a son. The question matters because North Korea has a deeply patriarchal and male-dominated power structure. Since the country was founded in 1948, all three of its leaders have been male members of the Kim family. Some experts doubt whether elderly senior officials would accept a woman as leader, while others say Kim, 42, is still too young to name an heir because doing so could weaken his absolute authority. For now, the NIS position remains that Kim Ju Ae is the most likely successor, even as it continues to check whether Kim has a son.

With PTI Inputs

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