North Korea leader firming up status of daughter as successor, Seoul says

11/9/2025 13:06

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to have solidified the status of his daughter Kim Ju Ae as his likely successor after she accompanied him on a visit to China, South Korean lawmakers said on Thursday, citing the country's spy agency.



Ju Ae stayed at the North Korean embassy and avoided the public spotlight during the Beijing visit, but just being on the overseas trip with her father was "enough to build a narrative" as the regime's likely successor, said Lee Seong-kweun, a lawmaker on South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee.



"It was suggested that Kim Ju Ae's status was solidified as a likely successor by showing her occasionally, while enabling her to build overseas experience but not to appear at public events," said Park Sun-won, another lawmaker on the committee.



Also, North Korean officials were spotted wiping out traces in order not to expose biological information of Kim and his daughter during the China trip. This included using a special plane to transport garbage and the pair staying at the North Korean embassy, South Korea's spy agency told the lawmakers.