South Korea's NIS Names Kim's Daughter as Successor

South Korea's National Intelligence Service has concluded that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's teenage daughter is positioned as his successor, marking the agency's strongest assessment yet of her rising role in the isolated regime.

In a closed-door briefing to lawmakers at the National Assembly on Monday, NIS Director Lee Jongseok stated that the girl, widely believed to be around 13 years old and named Kim Ju Ae, can now be regarded as Kim's heir, according to several attendees. The assessment draws on reliable intelligence indicating that North Korean authorities are deliberately grooming her for leadership, including through public appearances designed to bolster her image.

Lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who attended the session, relayed that the director dismissed concerns about opposition from Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, a prominent figure in state propaganda often seen as the regime's number two. "She has no substantial powers," Lee quoted the director as saying, emphasizing that her influence does not extend to challenging the succession.

The girl's prominence has grown since late 2022, when she began accompanying her father to high-profile events, including missile tests and...