Where is Kim Ju Ae? Kim Jong-un’s daughter absent from key party congress amid succession rumours

Kim Ju Ae’s presence at the conference was hotly anticipated after South Korean intelligence briefings suggested she had entered ‘successor-designate stage’ AsiaEast Asia Where is Kim Ju Ae? Kim Jong-un’s daughter absent from key party congress amid succession rumoursKim Ju Ae’s presence at the conference was hotly anticipated after South Korean intelligence briefings suggested she had entered ‘successor-designate stage’Shahana Yasmin Sunday 22 February 2026 04:07 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverKim Jong Un’s daughter kisses father during rare public appearanceYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter was absent as the country opened its key party congress in Pyongyang this week, prolonging ambiguity over the state’s succession plans. The ninth congress of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, convened only once every five years, is North Korea’s most important political gathering and is expected to steer policy on the economy, defence, and foreign relations through the end of the decade.Kim Ju Ae, believed to be about 13 years old, has been seen regularly by her father’s side at major military parades, weapons tests, party celebrations, and high-profile construction projects since she first entered public view in November 2022. Her non-appearance at the congress was significant because South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) told lawmakers earlier this month that Kim Ju Ae had entered what it described as a “successor-designate stage”.Ju Ae has increasingly been viewed as Kim’s most likely successor, particularly after a high-profile trip to China in 2025. The South Korean spy agency briefing raised expectations that the congress might offer the clearest signal yet on Kim’s succession. open image in galleryFILE: Kim Jong Un (right) and his daughter Ju Ae inspect the Milyong Hotel, which was recently completed in the Samjiyon tourist district of Ryanggang Province (KCNA)The NIS was initially sceptical that Kim Ju Ae could be chosen as a North Korean leader, owing to the country’s deeply conservative culture and male-dominated leadership dated back to its founding under Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Un’s grandfather.But the sheer volume of high-profile appearances she has made since then alongside the North Korean leader has shifted that assessment, and Seoul now sees them as part of an effort to build a “narrative” paving the way for the country to accept its first female leader.North Korean state media outlets have never published her name, referring to her as Kim Jong Un’s “respected” or “most beloved” child. The belief that she is named Kim Ju Ae is based on an account by former NBA champion Dennis Rodman, in which he recalled holding Kim Jong Un’s baby daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013.The party conference opened on Thursday, with Kim Jong Un delivering a speech in Pyongyang declaring that the last five years had been a “proud period” for North Korea, since the country had achieved its goals “in all realms such as politics, the economy, national defence, culture, and diplomacy”.open image in galleryNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang (via REUTERS)“In view of the external relations, too, the position of our state was firmly consolidated as an irreversible one, bringing about a great change in the global political landscape and in the influence on our state,” he said, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.Those comments appear to reference Pyongyang’s growing ties with China, where Kim attended his first ever multilateral diplomatic talks alongside a military parade in Beijing last year, and Russia, where North Korea became the first third-party ally in the world to commit thousands of frontline troops to take part in the Russia-Ukraine war.At least 5,000 members of the ruling party are attending the meeting, and congratulatory letters were sent from Russia, China, Vietnam, and Laos.open image in galleryNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) delivers a report on the activities of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on the second day of the 9th Con