Defectors See Kim Jong Un’s Daughter as Likely Successor in North Korea

WHO:

NPR - Kim Jong Un is North Korea’s leader; his daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and about 13, has appeared publicly with him.

NPR - Kim Yumi, 32, defected to South Korea with her family and now lives in Seoul. She said, “My husband and I didn't want our children to live under a fourth-generation dictatorship.”

NPR - The Associated Press interviewed 11 defectors; eight believed Kim Ju Ae is being groomed as Kim Jong Un’s heir, while three disagreed, citing North Korea’s patriarchal culture.

NPR - Tae Yongho, a former North Korean Embassy minister in London who defected in 2016, said officials treat Kim Ju Ae according to protocols “reserved for a successor.”

NPR - Other defectors cited include Kang Mi-Jin, Jung Gwang-il, Kim Jeong-Ah, Lee Si-young, Ahn Chan-il, Choi Song-juk, and Jeon Jae-hyun.

NPR - Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s younger sister, is the only woman among 17 Workers’ Party department directors, according to South Korea’s Unification Ministry.

WHAT:

NPR - Kim Jong Un has made dozens of public appearances with Kim Ju Ae since late 2022, at events including weapons tests and military parades. State media has called her his “most beloved” and “respected” child.

NPR - South Korea’s spy agency assesses Kim Ju Ae as Kim Jong Un’s likely heir. Her succession remains uncertain, partly because she is female.

NPR - South Korean officials believe Kim Jong Un has a younger child whose gender has not been confirmed.

NPR - North Korea has had three generations of Kim-family rule: Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un. Analysts and defectors say a further hereditary succession would likely be accepted without public resistance.

NPR - Kim Jong Un, 42, is described by South Korea’s spy agency as extremely obese and at high risk of cardiovascular disease, with no other reported signs of poor health.

NPR - Dennis Rodman first revealed Kim Ju Ae’s identity after holding her as a baby during a Pyongyang visit.

WHERE:

NPR - The events and assessments concern North Korea; Kim Yumi lives in Seoul, South Korea.

WHY:

NPR - Kim Yumi said pandemic regulations ruined her family’s fishing business and motivated the family to flee; she said they wanted their children to have freedom.

NPR - Defectors cited pervasive surveillance, harsh punishment for dissent and escape, and the danger of asking about the Kim family as reasons people do not openly question the regime.

HOW:

NPR - Kim Yumi and her family defected by boat. North Koreans reportedly communicate views to defectors through smuggled phones and encounters in Chinese border towns.

NPR - North Korea’s previous successions occurred in 1994, from Kim Il Sung to Kim Jong Il, and in 2011, from Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Un later consolidated power through executions and purges, including the 2013 killing of his uncle Jang Song Thaek.

NPR - Kim Yumi said ordinary people “know absolutely nothing about private lives of the Kim family” and avoid finding out because it could put them in danger.

(UPDATED November 10, 2026 16:05 UTC)

Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, is increasingly seen as North Korea’s likely heir. Eight of 11 defectors interviewed believe she is being groomed for succession, though doubts remain. Her emergence raises questions about hereditary rule, while surveillance and harsh punishments stifle public dissent.