South Korea indicates Kim Jong Un’s daughter lined up to be eventual successor

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) thinks that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter has been lined up to be her father’s eventual successor, lawmakers noted on Monday, according to Reuters.

The NIS indicated to lawmakers that its analysis stems from what it characterized as “credible intelligence” that it had gathered, Reuters reported, citing briefings by ruling and opposition party members following a closed-door parliamentary meeting.

Video footage posted last month showed Kim and his daughter on a tank.

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This photo provided by the North Korean government shows its leader Kim Jong Un, front right, his daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae, and other soldiers on a tank at a military training base in North Korea, on March 19, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

The South Korean agency indicated that the scene of the girl driving a tank was meant to emphasize her supposed military aptitude and counter doubts concerning a female successor, lawmakers noted, according to the outlet.

North Korean state-run media KCNA published photos of the North Korean leader and his daughter with a tank last month, following prior images of the girl utilizing firearms, Reuters reported.

The daughter is thought to be about 13 years old and named Ju Ae.

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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter, center, tries out a new pistol at a factory producing pistols and other light arms at an undisclosed place in North Korea Wednesday, March 11, 2026.  (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

The outlet reported that ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Park Sun-won indicated that the scenes are meant to pay “homage” to the North Korean leader’s military appearances years ago when he was being set up to succeed his father as regime leader.

​Korea Institute for National Unification analyst Hong Min said the tank scene is not enough to determine that she has been established as her father’s successor, pointing out that she appeared with her father rather than independently, unlike her father’s independent military appearances as he was being groomed to take the helm.

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This picture taken on December 20, 2025, and released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on Dec. 23, 2025, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) and his daughter Ju Ae (L) inspecting the Milyong Hotel, which was recently completed in the Samjiyon tourist district of Ryanggang Province. (KCNA VIA KNS / AFP via Getty Images)

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North Korea is one of the world’s only nuclear-armed nations.