Story perspectives

North Korea’s NIS Chief Says Kim Ju Ae Successor

9/4/2026

Summary

Story summary

North Korea’s National Intelligence Service director Lee Jong-seok says Kim Ju Ae is being groomed successor.
Lee added Kim Yo-jong holds no substantive power, confirming her marginalization.
Kim Ju Ae is home-schooled, tutored privately and receives military drills, horseback riding and skiing.
She first appeared publicly in November 2022, holding Kim Jong Un’s hand at an ICBM test launch.
Media showed her firing a pistol, operating a tank and labeling her a ‘great person of guidance’.

History

Historical Context

In 1980, North Korean leader Kim Il-sung publicly designated his son Kim Jong Il as successor, cementing dynastic rule. The Korean Workers' Party Central Committee ratified the move with a single constitutional amendment adding one article in 1991, embedding Kim Jong Il’s name. Today, Lee Jong-seok’s grooming of Kim Ju-Ae mirrors that precedent, as the National Intelligence Service showcases her military drills and public appearances. The pattern suggests continuity of hereditary power, implying future leadership will likely remain within the Kim family, limiting reform prospects.

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Story summary

North Korea’s National Intelligence Service director Lee Jong-seok says Kim Ju Ae is being groomed successor.
Lee added Kim Yo-jong holds no substantive power, confirming her marginalization.
Kim Ju Ae is home-schooled, tutored privately and receives military drills, horseback riding and skiing.
She first appeared publicly in November 2022, holding Kim Jong Un’s hand at an ICBM test launch.
Media showed her firing a pistol, operating a tank and labeling her a ‘great person of guidance’.

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