Seoul spy agency says it’s fair to view teen daughter of North Korean leader Kim as his heir

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea's spy agency says it's now fair to view the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as his heir, its strongest assessment yet on the rising political status of the girl who it believes could extend her family's rule into a fourth generation.

The girl, dubbed by state media as Kim's "most beloved" or "respected" child, has accompanied her father to numerous high-profile events since late 2022, sparking outside speculation that she's being groomed as the North's future leader.

In a closed-door briefing at the National Assembly Monday, South Korea's National Intelligence Service director Lee Jong-seok said the girl could be considered Kim's successor, in response to questions by lawmakers about her political standing, according to Lee Seong Kweun, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting.

Asked about possible protests by Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong, who has been long regarded as the North's No. 2 figure, the NIS director responded that she has no substantial powers, lawmaker Lee told a briefing. He cited the NIS as citing unspecified "reliable intelligence."

It was a stronger assessment by the NIS on the girl's status. In early 2024, it described the girl as her father's likely heir, its first official assessment on her possible grooming as the North's next leader. In February this year, the agency said it believed she was close to being designated as the country's future leader.

Some observers disagree with the NIS' assessment, saying North Korea's extremely male-centered society won't likely embrace a woman leader. They also said Kim, 42, is too young to name his successor, a development that could weaken his grip on power.

The girl is reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and aged about 13, but North Korea's state media hasn't released such personal details. Her reported name is based on an account by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who recalled holding Kim Jong Un's baby daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013.

Established in 1948, North Korea has been successively ruled by male members of the Kim family. Kim Jong Un inherited power upon his father Kim Jong Il's death in late 2011. Kim Jong Il took over power after his father and state founder Kim Il Sung died in 1994.

Some of the girl's recent public appearances included her driving a tank during army training supervised by her father and the pair firing pistols during a visit to a light munitions factory.

During Monday's briefing, the NIS said North Korean authorities appeared to have organized such events to build up her military credentials and "reduce skepticism about a woman successor," lawmaker Lee said.

Park Sunwon, another lawmaker who attended the briefing, made similar comments on the NIS' assessment on the girl's recent military appearances.