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Speculation grows around Kim Ju-ae's role in North Korean succession

Published: 25 Sep. 2025, 18:55

Kim Ju-ae, left in white, accompanies her father Kim Jong-un, to the National Aerospace Technology Administration on April 18, 2023. [RODONG SINMUN]

Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, may in fact be his eldest child and is likely being groomed to be his successor, according to a new report from a Washington-based human rights organization.

The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) raised the possibility in a report released Wednesday titled "The Last Heir? Kim Ju-ae and North Korea's Succession." The report cites testimony from foreign individuals who have had direct contact with Kim’s family.

It particularly highlights the account of former NBA player Dennis Rodman, who first revealed Kim Ju-ae’s existence after his second visit to Pyongyang in 2013. At the time, Rodman said he had held baby Ju-ae in his arms, but later told Radio Free Asia in an interview that he had not seen a boy during his trip. Joao Micaelo, a former classmate of Kim Jong-un’s from his school days in Switzerland, also visited Pyongyang in 2013 and said he had heard about a daughter being born, but not a son.

The testimonies of those who spoke directly with Kim Jong-un or saw his family are consistent, according to the report, and if accurate, they strongly suggest that Kim Ju-ae is the eldest and is being positioned as a successor.

U.S. basketball player Dennis Rodman, far right, talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the athlete's visit to North Korea in 2014. [RODONG SINMUN]

A Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) report titled ″The Last Heir? Kim Ju-ae and North Korea's Succession″ [HRNK]

The report also noted that South Korea’s Ministry of Unification and the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification have entertained the possibility that Kim Ju-ae could be the eldest child. While the National Intelligence Service (NIS) previously speculated that Kim had a son born in 2010 — based on a spike in imports of boys’ toys — it is reportedly revisiting that analysis.

In a 2017 briefing to the National Assembly, the NIS stated that Kim Jong-un appeared to have had a firstborn son in 2010, a daughter — Kim Ju-ae — in 2013, and a third child in 2017. However, the HRNK report points out that considering the timeline of First Lady Ri Sol-ju’s public appearances and North Korea’s maternity leave policies, the theory of a 2010 birth raises questions.

Kim Ju-ae made her first public appearance in November 2022 at the launch site of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile. While initially described as a symbolic figure representing “future generations,” her continued presence at military events and public appearances has fueled speculation about her being named heir.

Most recently, she appeared alongside her father at China’s military parade on Sept. 3 commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day, further reinforcing speculation that North Korea is laying the groundwork for a fourth-generation hereditary succession.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]