South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) is actively seeking to clarify whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has a son, even as it maintains that his teenage daughter is the most likely successor to lead the country. The agency’s recent statement comes amid ongoing speculation regarding Kim’s family and succession plans.
The NIS indicated that if Kim does have a son, the child is not currently considered a contender for leadership. Instead, the agency reaffirmed its assessment that Kim’s daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and believed to be around 13 years old, is positioned to inherit power. The intelligence service also noted the existence of a younger child whose gender has not been confirmed.
Kim Ju Ae has appeared alongside her father at multiple prominent events since late 2022, including missile launches and major military parades. North Korean state media have described her as Kim’s “most beloved” or “respected” child. The identification of her name largely stems from an account by former NBA player Dennis Rodman, who claimed to have held Kim’s infant daughter during a 2013 visit to Pyongyang.
Historically, all three successive North Korean leaders since the country’s founding in 1948 have been male members of the Kim family. This fact has led some experts to question whether North Korean officials would accept a female leader. Additionally, there is concern that Kim Ju Ae’s succession could potentially mark the end of the Kim family’s direct rule if she were to marry outside the family and transfer power to offspring from another lineage.
The media report that prompted the NIS statement had suggested that South Korean intelligence concluded Kim has no son with his wife, Ri Sol Ju. The NIS did not confirm this specifically but underscored its view that the daughter remains the likely heir.
The leadership succession in North Korea remains opaque, and the search for clarity continues amid limited access to verifiable information about the secretive regime and the Kim family’s personal affairs.