South Korea's spy agency says Kim Jong Un's daughter is close to being designated North Korea's future leader
Source: Associated Press
Spy agency says Kim Jong Un’s daughter is close to being designated North Korea’s future leader
By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Updated 5:05 AM EST, February 12, 2026
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday that it believes the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is close to being designated as the country’s future leader as he moves to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation.
The assessment by the National Intelligence Service comes as North Korea is preparing to hold its biggest political conference later this month, where Kim is expected to outline his major policy goals for the next five years and take steps to tighten his authoritarian grip.
In a closed-door briefing, NIS officials said they are closely monitoring whether Kim’s daughter — believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and around 13 years old — appears with him before thousands of delegates at the upcoming Workers’ Party Congress, said lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who attended the meeting.
First appearing in public at a long-range missile test in November 2022, Kim Ju Ae has since accompanied her father to an increasing number of events, including weapons tests, military parades and factory openings. She traveled with him to Beijing last September for Kim’s first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years on the sidelines of a World War II event.
-snip-
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-jong-un-daughter-c795f8c25177d45f1f4a8bf5af160007
