Report: Kim Jong Un's Daughter Named Successor-Designate
Is Kim Ju-ae's public role mere training or has she been formally designated as North Korea's next leader?
Above: Kim Jong Un and Kim Ju-ae inspecting the Milyong Hotel in Ryanggang Province on Dec. 20, 2025. Image credit: KCNA/KNS/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Kim Ju-ae has clearly moved beyond mere training to formal successor designation. South Korean intelligence confirms she's providing input on state policies and receiving laudatory acclaim as her father. Her prominent presence at military events and party functions signals deliberate preparation for leadership succession.
Narrative B
Spreading claims about Kim Ju-ae as a successor ignores the basic realities of North Korean power structures. No socialist country has ever elevated a daughter to leadership, and the regime's deeply patriarchal, militarized society makes female succession virtually impossible. Past successions were shrouded in total secrecy for years, which makes NIS' intelligence assessments questionable.
