September 12, 2025
SEOUL – South Korea’s intelligence agency assessed that Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, may have strengthened her position as his likely successor during their recent visit to China, lawmakers said Thursday.
The National Intelligence Service delivered the assessment during a closed-door session of the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee, according to Reps. Park Sun-won of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Lee Seong-kweun of the main opposition People Power Party, who serve as the committee’s executive secretaries.
The agency viewed the trip as “part of a process to complete a succession narrative centered on Kim Ju-ae,” Rep. Lee told reporters after the meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul.
While she refrained from public exposure during the visit — reportedly staying inside the North Korean Embassy in Beijing and boarding the special train in advance for their return — the agency said that clarity concerning her role has come from state media releases.
“The North made it known to its people that Kim Ju-ae accompanied Kim Jong-un and visited the embassy, using documentary footage and Rodong Sinmun photographs,” Lee said, referring to the North’s main newspaper of record. “That alone was enough to support the narrative necessary for a successor.”
On earlier projections that Kim’s wife, Ri Sol-ju, would accompany him instead, Lee said that NIS Director Lee Jong-seok admitted there were “limitations in the agency’s information-gathering methods” that led to a flawed initial assessment.
The agency also addressed long-standing speculation about other children in the Kim family — one possibly with a disability and another allegedly studying abroad.
Lee said the agency does not view these claims as credible.
“Studying abroad, in particular, would be nearly impossible to hide. That’s why the NIS said it believes Kim Ju-ae’s presence in China reflects her position as the intended successor,” Lee said.
Lee also said that the regime took special precautions to minimize biometric exposure of both Kim and his daughter during the trip.
As for Kim’s health, Lee said the agency observed “no signs of abnormality,” adding that Kim “completed all official events without issue.”
Meanwhile, the agency assessed that Kim considers the trip a diplomatic success, according to Rep. Park.
“Kim Jong-un believes he made a successful debut on the multilateral stage and effectively conveyed a message of solidarity among North Korea, China and Russia, projecting himself as a leader of a normal state,” Park said, quoting the NIS.
However, Park added that the agency also reported signs of discord.
“The NIS reported that there were disagreements during the summits with China and Russia,” Park said. “Although they showcased trilateral solidarity, there was no progress in forming a concrete policy coordination framework.”
The NIS reported that Kim visited intercontinental ballistic missile facilities both before and after the trip, unveiling what it assessed as the regime’s largest ICBM engine to date.
“The engine appears to support multiple warheads and hypersonic capabilities,” Rep. Lee said, quoting the agency. “It was likely meant to demonstrate the advancement of North Korea’s nuclear force and enhance its negotiating leverage with the United States.”
Rep. Park also said that the agency warned that Kim may take a more aggressive approach in diplomacy in the future.
“The NIS warned that Kim’s likely to act more offensively, riding the confidence gained from the China trip,” Park said. “The strategy seems to be raising the threshold for dialogue with the US — using nuclear arms talks as pressure — while quietly seeking back-channel engagement.”
