North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's daughter Kim Ju Ae is widely regarded by defectors and South Korean intelligence officials as the probable next ruler of the isolated nuclear-armed state. Recent interviews with defectors highlight her elevated status in a regime long defined by hereditary succession.

Kim Ju Ae, believed to be around 13 years old, has accompanied her father at dozens of high-profile events since late 2022. These include weapons tests, military parades, and inspections of factories and missile sites. State media has described her as Kim's "most beloved" and "respected" child, using language typically reserved for the supreme leader.

An Associated Press report published this week detailed interviews with 11 North Korean defectors now living in South Korea. Eight of them said they believe Kim Ju Ae is being prepared as the successor. Defectors pointed to special protocols afforded to her during visits, such as senior military officials kneeling in her presence and her positioning ahead of her father in official imagery.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service has assessed for months that Kim Jong Un is positioning his daughter as heir apparent. The agency has cited her growing role in public events and indications she may be providing input on policy matters. Lawmakers briefed by the NIS noted her treatment as the de facto second-highest figure in the regime's protocol hierarchy.

Skeptics among the defectors cited North Korea's patriarchal traditions as a potential barrier. However, others argued that the Kim family is viewed as above such norms, with one defector stating that family members are seen as "gods reigning over humans."

The question of succession carries significant implications for the impoverished nation of 26 million, which remains under strict state control and isolated from the outside world. Kim Jong Un, now 42, has consolidated power through three generations of family rule since the founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

No official confirmation of Kim Ju Ae's status has come from Pyongyang, and she has not received any formal political title. Analysts expect continued monitoring of her appearances at future events, including potential party congresses, for further signals of her role.