According to South Korea’s spy agency, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may name his teenage daughter his successor.

“The East Asian country’s National Intelligence Agency (NIS) reported the ruler is taking steps to secure his daughter’s position as successor as the country’s fourth-generation leader,” USA TODAY reports.

North Korea is preparing to hold its biggest political conference this month, The Guardian noted.

Kim Ju Ae, the young daughter of Kim Jong Un, seems increasingly positioned to become the next leader of North Korea https://t.co/1g12ffdPxa

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 13, 2026

The Guardian shared further:

According to Lee, the agency cited her growing presence at high-profile military events, her inclusion in the family visit to Kumsusan, and signs that Kim was beginning to seek her input on certain policy matters.

Not much is known about Kim’s daughter. Despite her increased visibility in propaganda, North Korean state media have never published her name, referring to her as his “respected” or “most beloved” child.

The belief that she is named Kim Ju-ae is based on an account by the former NBA star Dennis Rodman in which he recalled holding Kim’s baby daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013. South Korean intelligence officials believe she was born sometime that year.

In 2023, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers that Kim and his wife also probably have an older son and a younger third child, whose gender is unknown.

Since North Korea’s foundation in 1948, it has been ruled by male members of the Kim family, beginning with the country’s founder, Kim Il-sung, and followed by his son, Kim Jong-il.

Kim Jong-un was just 26 when he was officially named heir during a 2010 party conference, two years after Kim Jong-il had a debilitating stroke. After his father’s death in December 2011, Kim Jong-un was abruptly thrust into the throne with relatively little preparation.

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Some analysts suggest Kim’s decision to give his daughter and early debut may reflect his own experience of being rushed into power.