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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly appointed his teenage daughter to a significant role within the regime’s influential “Missile Administration,” which is responsible for overseeing the country’s nuclear arsenal, according to South Korean media reports released on Monday.
The young girl, named Ju Ae and estimated to be around 13 or 14 years old, is believed to have taken on the position of “missile general director.” This assessment comes from South Korean intelligence received on Sunday, as authorities keep a close watch on developments at the ongoing Ninth Congress of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party.
According to the Chosun Daily, which cites high-ranking government sources with knowledge of the situation, intelligence agencies have gathered information suggesting that Kim’s daughter has been promoted to this influential position.
Although Jang Chang-ha is officially recognized as the director of the administration, intelligence reports indicate that Kim’s daughter is actively receiving briefings from military generals and is involved in issuing directives.
In a recent appearance, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter, Ju Ae, were seen attending a ceremony on Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang, highlighting her emerging role in the regime. (KCNA via KNS / AFP via Getty Images)
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service recently told lawmakers that her public profile signals she is also in the “stage of being designated as a successor,” adding that circumstances have been seen where she provides opinions on policy, The Associated Press reported.
The teen has appeared alongside her father at high-profile military events, including intercontinental ballistic missile launches and weapons inspections.
North Korean state media first confirmed her existence in November 2022, and described her only as a “beloved child” when she accompanied Kim at the launch of the Hwasong-17 ICBM.
Her name has never been officially disclosed by Pyongyang.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter, Ju Ae, celebrate the New Year, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (KCNA via Reuters)
Her reported role comes as Kim continues to showcase advances in the country’s weapons programs.
On Feb. 18, Kim was photographed taking the wheel of a nuclear-capable 600mm multiple rocket launcher in Pyongyang, touting it as among the most powerful of its kind.
State media showed rows of launch vehicles and said the rockets, which Kim claimed rival short-range ballistic missiles and use artificial intelligence in their guidance systems, have “completely changed” modern artillery warfare, Reuters reported.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Kim was re-elected general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea on Feb.22, a decision announced by state-run media following the party’s Ninth Congress.
North Korea has suspended all meaningful diplomacy with the United States and South Korea since the collapse of a 2019 summit between Kim and President Donald Trump.
This came over disagreements about sanctions relief in exchange for steps to wind down Kim’s nuclear and missile program.
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