April 22, 2026
Every previous Kim leader was introduced to the world when they took power. Kim Jong Un is doing something different: he's building a succession plan in public.
His daughter Kim Ju Ae, believed to be around 12 or 13 years old, has appeared increasingly at his side. In a country as patriarchal as North Korea, that is notable. Wall Street Journal Beijing bureau chief Jonathan Cheng says it may rank alongside the repudiation of unification as Kim's most significant deviation from his predecessors.
Kim is only in his early 40s and may have decades ahead of him. But he has a backup plan, and he's showing it to the world, which is something his father and grandfather never did. Whether she's truly the anointed successor or just a signal of things to come, the dynasty is preparing for a fourth generation. And for the first time in North Korean history, the heir apparent may be a woman.
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