Seoul: Process of Designating Kim Jong Un’s Daughter as Successor Has Begun

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service stated that it appears North Korea has entered the phase of designating “Kim Ju-ae,” the daughter of “Kim Jong Un,” as successor.

According to Rokna, citing Yonhap News Agency, this assessment was presented during a closed-door meeting with the Intelligence Committee of South Korea’s National Assembly, and lawmakers “Park Sun-won” and “Lee Seong-kweun” provided details to reporters.

According to these lawmakers, the NIS cited signs of Kim Ju-ae expressing views on certain state policies as one of the reasons for this new assessment.

“Lee Seong-kweun” said: “Considering Kim Ju-ae’s presence at various events, including the anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army and her appearance at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, as well as evidence of her expressing views on some state policies, the National Intelligence Service believes that she has now entered the stage of designation as successor.”

He added that this new assessment goes a step beyond the agency’s previous evaluation, when it was said that Kim Ju-ae was “undergoing training” for succession, whereas she is now at the stage of “designation as successor.”

The agency also announced that it will closely monitor developments related to her potential appearance at the major congress of North Korea’s ruling party later this month.

In January 2024, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service for the first time assessed Kim Ju-ae, who is believed to have been born in 2013, as the “most likely successor” to the North Korean leader.

In January of this year, she also appeared for the first time alongside her parents at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the mausoleum of the Kim family, a development that increased speculation about her succession.

In another part of the report, the National Intelligence Service addressed possible talks between the United States and North Korea, stating that Pyongyang may respond positively to dialogue with Washington if certain conditions are met.

The agency said North Korea has expressed dissatisfaction with the joint statement of the United States and South Korea, as well as with the deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula, but has not ruled out the possibility of talks with the United States and has refrained from criticizing U.S. President “Donald Trump.”

According to the agency, North Korea has apparently avoided launching intercontinental ballistic missiles in order to avoid provoking Trump, who is sensitive to missile tests.

The National Intelligence Service stated that approximately 10,000 North Korean combat troops and 1,000 engineering personnel are currently stationed in the front-line Kursk region of Russia to support Russia in the war against Ukraine, and that around 6,000 of these forces have been killed or wounded.

The agency added that despite sustaining heavy casualties, the North Korean military has been able to gain access to modern combat tactics and battlefield data, and has also upgraded its weapons systems with Russian technical assistance.

Regarding inter-Korean relations, the National Intelligence Service said North Korea continues to emphasize defining the two Koreas as “two hostile states” and has recently instructed its officials and overseas missions to refrain from engaging with South Korea.