By Micah Jonah
February 12, 2026
North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un appears to be taking steps to position his daughter as his successor, South Korean lawmakers said on Thursday, citing a briefing from the country’s National Intelligence Service.
According to the lawmakers, the spy agency indicated that Kim’s daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, is now in the stage of being internally appointed as successor.
“In the past, the NIS described Kim Ju Ae as being ‘in study as successor’ but today the expression used was that she ‘was in the stage of being internally appointed successor’,” lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun told reporters after a closed-door briefing.
Lawmakers said the agency believes Ju Ae is increasingly being treated as the de facto second-highest leader in North Korea and may already be providing input on policy matters.
The NIS said it would closely monitor whether she attends an upcoming meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party later this month and whether she is given any official title. Analysts expect the party meeting to outline key policy goals on the economy, foreign affairs and defence.
Ju Ae, believed to be in her early teens, has frequently appeared in state media alongside her father during inspections of weapons projects and other official engagements, fuelling speculation that she is being groomed as North Korea’s next leader.
The briefing also disclosed that Kim Jong Un is directing the development of a large submarine likely capable of carrying up to 10 submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Lawmakers said the vessel, estimated at about 8,700 tons displacement, could potentially be nuclear-powered, though it remains unclear whether it will be fully operational as designed.
South Korea’s intelligence agency said it would continue to assess developments surrounding both the leadership succession and the North’s military capabilities.
