Media: Pyongyang’s nuclear future may rest with Kim’s daughter

South Korean authorities are examining intelligence suggesting that the daughter of Kim Jong Un may be playing a direct role in North Korea’s missile and nuclear command structure, as speculation grows over her future status within the regime.

According to a senior government source, intelligence agencies are assessing reports that the leader’s daughter — publicly known as Ju-ae, though alternative names have circulated — is effectively acting in a capacity comparable to head of the country’s missile bureau, Caliber.Az reports per The Chosun Daily.

While Jang Chang-ha is formally identified as the missile chief, the intelligence suggests the young girl has been receiving briefings from senior military officials and may be issuing guidance on strategic weapons programmes.

Kim Jong Un has repeatedly brought his daughter to high-profile events linked to Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile development, including intercontinental ballistic missile launches. Her presence at such events — unprecedented for a child of a North Korean leader — has fuelled analysis that she is being introduced to the military establishment at an early stage.

Earlier this month, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers that the process appeared to be at the level of a potential successor designation. The agency also noted indications that the daughter had expressed views on certain policy matters, reinforcing assessments that her exposure to strategic weapons programmes may extend beyond symbolic appearances.

North Korean state media first confirmed her existence in November 2022, when she accompanied her father to the launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile.

Since then, she has featured prominently at events tied to the country’s nuclear deterrent and advanced missile systems, signalling what analysts describe as a carefully managed projection of continuity at the heart of Pyongyang’s strategic arsenal.

By Aghakazim Guliyev