Kim Jong Un's teenage daughter could be considered his successor, state media claims
Kim Jong Un's daughter, thought to be named Kim Ju Ae, has been seen with her father at several high-profile events
Seoul's spy agency has said that the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could be considered his successor.
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Since late 2022, Kim Ju Ae, as the girl is thought to be named, has accompanied her father to several high-profile events.
Last month, the pair rode in a tank together, sparking further speculation that she is being pushed as Kim Jong Un's successor.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) director Lee Jong-seok said in a briefing to the National Assembly that Kim Ju Ae considered Mr Kim's successor.
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NIS said its assessment was based on "credible intelligence" collected by the agency.
Kim Yo Jong, Mr Kim's sister, has long been viewed as North Korea's number two, but the NIS director reportedly said that she has no substantial powers.
Kim Ju Ae’s succession could extend her family's rule into a fourth generation.
In early 2024, the NIS described the child as Mr Kim's likely heir.
In February this year, the agency said it believed she was close to being designated as the nation's future leader.
Some observers have contradicted the NIS’s assessments, North Korea's male-centred society will likely not embrace a woman leader.
Since its establishment in 1948, North Korea has been successively ruled by male members of the Kim family, with Kim Jong Un inheriting power in late 2011.
Critics also argue that Mr Kim, at 42, is too young to name a successor.