North Korea’s next leader?

In November 2022, Kim Jong-un first introduced his daughter Kim Ju-ae to the world with a show of affection and menace, holding her hand in front of an intercontinental ballistic missile. 

Since then, state media has shown Kim Ju-ae more and more prominently next to her father, the leader of North Korea. Now she is being hailed as a “great person of guidance” — a sign, experts say, that she is perhaps being groomed to take the reins of the isolated, nuclear-armed regime one day. At present, she holds no known official title in North Korea.

But intelligence officials and analysts consider her to be her father’s most likely successor. She is believed to be just 12. Attached are photos of some of Ju-ae’s more recent public appearances, which trace her transformation from a shy girl by her father’s side to a poised public figure who shares center stage with him.

She is showing up in domestic photo ops and some diplomatic receptions with her father. But most telling may be her presence in military settings — the first area where Kim consolidated his power after his father died.

South Korean intelligence officials believe that Kim likely has two children. There are also unconfirmed reports that he might have a third child. But only Ju-ae has made public appearances. If she is her father’s designated successor, she would be in line to become the first woman to rule North Korea’s deeply patriarchal and highly militarized society and the world’s newest nuclear power.

Kim himself is just 41, but preparing a successor makes sense: He has a family history of heart trouble; he’s about 5-foot-7 and weighs about 310 pounds, according to South Korean intelligence officials. They added that he had unhealthy habits, including chain-smoking, heavy wining and dining, and frequently staying up until early mornings to surf the internet, where he likes to browse weapons websites.