Seoul's intelligence agency leans toward Kim's daughter having a younger brother or sister

Seoul – AFP – South Korea’s intelligence agency has suggested that Kim Jong Un’s daughter and presumed successor may have a younger brother or sister, amid the mystery surrounding the ruling family.

Earlier, South Korea’s intelligence agency had speculated that Kim has three children, without being able to determine their ages.

Kim Jo-ae first appeared in public in 2022, when she accompanied her father to oversee the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Kim family has maintained an iron grip on power in North Korea since its founding in 1948, with authorities deliberately fostering an image of absolute loyalty to the leader among the country’s diplomatically isolated citizens.

In a statement, the agency said, “The National Intelligence Service has concluded that Kim Jo-ae is being prepared to succeed her father, and we believe she has a younger sibling whose gender has not yet been identified.”

It added that it is investigating the possibility that she also has an older sibling, noting that “even if such a sibling exists, it is unlikely that he or she would be ready to assume power.”

Since 2022, Kim Jo-ae has attended several key political events alongside her father, including his high-level visit to Beijing.