How North Korean defectors view Kim Jong Un’s daughter as his possible successor

[North Korean Defectors Offer Mixed Perspectives on Kim Jong Un’s Daughter as Potential Heir]

SEOUL, South Korea — The teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has drawn intense international media attention as their frequent public appearances together fuel speculation that he is grooming her to succeed him one day.

There are debates about her status, but most experts expect Kim to eventually hand over power to one of his children and extend his family’s rule into a fourth generation.

This article examines how North Korean defectors view Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, and perspectives on the family’s dynastic rule.

Tae, a former minister at North Korea’s Embassy in London who defected to South Korea in 2016 and later served in the South Korean parliament, expressed concern about what he perceives as Kim’s efforts to prolong the family’s rule.

“It is a troubling reality that unchecked power in an absolute monarchy is being transmitted to a fourth generation in the 21st century,” Tae remarked. “North Korea may fall further behind the international community if such a fourth‑generation succession becomes normalized.”

Kim left North Korea in May 2023. She explained that many North Koreans resent seeing her daughter wear long hair, high‑heeled shoes, and adult‑style attire—styles prohibited for ordinary teenagers—and yet feel unable to voice their discontent for fear of severe retribution.

“People would increasingly view Ju Ae as their future monarch,” she added.

Lee, who moved to South Korea in 2013 and now leads the Seoul‑based Free North Korea Radio, stated that North Koreans would not criticize the girl’s distinctive hairstyle and fashion sense, as such indoctrination has deeply shaped their worldview.

“Despite not recognizing whether her garments are premium brands, they believe she may wear them because she is the daughter of their supreme leader,” she said.

Choi, who defected from the North in 2015, noted that Kim’s daughter kissing her father on the cheek constitutes an exceptionally rare expression of affection between a parent and child in the regime.

Operating within the state’s pervasive personality cult, Choi observed that certain North Koreans appear proud of this scene, revering Kim as “the father of all people” and not as a tyrant who eliminated his uncle through brutal purges.

Oh, an analyst from Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification, warned against assuming the girl is Kim’s heir. He cautioned that if she were officially designated as his successor, she could swiftly consolidate power, as factional elites with converging interests might rally behind her and neutralize opposition.

“The identity of the successor—male or female—largely does not matter,” Oh added.

Ahn, a researcher who has interviewed hundreds of defectors, contended that Kim would need to improve the economy and raise living standards to gain his people’s more favorable acceptance of a succession plan. He observed that even amid the regime’s repression, younger North Koreans were increasingly shaped by South Korean television and other cultural influences, creating a growing challenge for Kim’s rule.

“The North Korean populace will not revolt against Kim, but what is crucial is whether he can secure their uneasy acceptance of his plan rather than grudging compliance,” Ahn asserted.

Jo, operator of an online news outlet, reported that sources within North Korea have not yet confirmed whether the girl is Kim’s heir. However, Jo himself believes she might be, and suggests that concerns about the leader’s health have accelerated preparations to position her as his successor.

In late September, South Korea’s principal intelligence agency briefed lawmakers that Kim displayed no other notable signs of illness, though he continued to suffer from severe obesity and a high risk of cardiovascular disease. Both his father and grandfather—who had previously ruled before he assumed power in 2011—had died of heart failure.

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