Kim Jong Un's daughter is his likely successor, says South Korea

The young daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has frequently accompanied her father at public events, including long-range missile tests, is Kim’s most likely successor should he die, the South Korean intelligence agency told lawmakers Thursday.

Although North Korea has not revealed any personal details about the daughter, including her name and age, South Korean officials have identified her as Kim Ju Ae. As a baby, Ju Ae drew headlines when retired NBA star Dennis Rodman said he was allowed to hold the child upon meeting Kim in Pyongyang, North Korea, in 2013.

The North’s state media has referred to her as a “most beloved” or “respected” child of Kim and has shown military generals and other high-ranking officials kneeling before her. Such scenes have triggered widespread speculation among outside analysts that the daughter was being groomed as heir apparent to her father.

But until now, the South Korean government has been cautious in speculating about the girl’s status within Pyongyang’s secretive regime.

“As of now, Kim Ju Ae is seen as the most likely successor,” the National Intelligence Agency, South Korea’s main government-run spy agency, said in an assessment released Thursday through a member of the National Assembly. The assessment was included in written answers the agency provided to questions from Youn Kun Young, a member of the assembly’s intelligence committee.

But the agency cautioned that it was also considering “all possibilities” in the North’s succession plan, given “many variables.” It did not elaborate, other than noting that Kim was still young — he turns 40 on Monday — and was not known to have serious health issues.

In a New Year’s Eve celebration in Pyongyang on Sunday, Kim was seen on North Korean TV footage hugging and kissing his daughter on the cheek.

Ju Ae is believed to be around 10 years old. Analysts said that, given her young age, it was still too early to tell whether she would eventually develop the kind of ruthless leadership qualities that her father demonstrated while establishing his unchallenged authority through a series of bloody purges, including the execution of his uncle and ​the assassination of his half-brother.