Why Kim Jong Un’s 13-Year-Old Daughter Is Drawing Global Attention
Updated 10:55 23 Oct 2026 GMT+1Published 14:51 22 Oct 2026 GMT+1
It comes after rumors swirled that the North Korean dictator had passed away from a brain hemorrhage
The internet has been rife with rumors that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has died from a brain hemorrhage this week - and it's got people questioning who'd replace him if he was to die.
North Korean state media has strongly denied these claims, of course, releasing 'proof of life' photos appearing to show Jong Un at a clothing exhibition, though these photos are yet to be independently verified.
Regardless of whether the 42-year-old dictator is indeed fit and well as suggested, the rumors have left a lot of people wondering what North Korea will look like when he does pass away.
According to experts, Jong Un's formidable younger sister Kim Yo Jung, 38, would be likely to take the helm after her brother's passing, before the baton is eventually handed to Jong Un's daughter, Kim Ju Ae - who has been dubbed the 'world's most dangerous' girl.
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Kim Yo Jung, pictured on the right, would take over as leader if her brother, Kim Jong Un, died (Chris Jung/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The North Korean government has publicly disclosed little information about the leader's daughter, who he shares with Ri Sol-ju, and her exact birth date isn't known. It is believed she is around 13 years old.
Ju Ae has previously accompanied her father at military displays and global conferences - with her first appearance being in 2022 - no doubt pruning her for when she will one day represent North Korea as its leader.
The Independent has reported in light of the rumors of Jong Un's death, South Korea’s spy agency has told a closed-door parliamentary briefing that Ju Ae is now her father’s 'successor-designate', rather than just being groomed for leadership.
Mason Richey, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, told Reuters in 2023: “For all we know this is just him [Jong Un] doting on a favorite child, but the more that she shows up, the more it seems that she’s either being fully groomed for leadership or at least floated as a possibility."
She's already taken on some big roles - in 2024, she was being introduced at state ceremonies by her aunt Yo Jong, and later that year, she was positioned to formally greet the Russian ambassador.
Kim Jong Un pictured with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, believed to have been taken earlier this year (KCNA VIA KNS / AFP via Getty Images)
Many would argue this is not a welcomed thought for North Koreans, as Yo Jung is considered to be far more merciless than her brother.
Back in 2020, analysts warned that life in Pyongyang could only get 'worse' under her leadership.
According to the Express, retired US Army Colonel David Maxwell said at the time: "We have to assume that every successor is worse than the last.
"I haven't seen any evidence, any indication of how she might rule, but my speculation - given the reputation and history of the family - is that she would rule with an iron fist."
Yo Jung released a statement earlier this week in which she warned of a 'grave situation,' accusing South Korea of firing warning shots and broadcasting warning messages on several occasions since August, on the grounds that troops from North Korea had breached the border.
"A grave situation is prevailing along the southern border due to the reckless behavior of the ROK military gangsters," Yo Jong said, using South Korea's official designation, the Republic of Korea [ROK].
She went on to say the military was 'deploying more tactical strike means along the southern border,' serving as 'preemptive and suppressive measure to deal with contingency, and of resuming the loudspeaker broadcasting against the ROK'.
Rumors are suggesting Kim Jong Un has died, something North Korean officials have denied (KCNA VIA KNS / AFP via Getty Images)
Yo Jung's life has recently gone under the microscope in a biography Dr. Sung-Yoon Lee, called The Sister: The extraordinary story of Kim Yo Jong, in which he warned how dangerous she may be.
"Unauthorised and undiplomatic, my biography of Ms Kim pulls few punches," he told the Big Issue.
"Referring to her as the world's first 'nuclear despotess', hence, the most dangerous woman out there, I portray her as the de facto second-in-command to her brother, who heads a nuclear-armed and uniquely cruel regime."
Featured Image Credit: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images
Topics: Kim Jong-un, North Korea, World News
