SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) indicated to lawmakers on Thursday that Kim Jong Un's teenage daughter may soon be designated as the future leader of North Korea, marking a potential extension of the Kim family's dynasty into a fourth generation. This assessment arises as North Korea gears up for its significant Workers' Party Congress later this month, where Kim is expected to unveil key policy goals for the next five years and reinforce his authoritarian rule.

During a closed-door briefing, NIS officials suggested they are closely watching to see if Kim's daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and approximately 13 years old, makes a public appearance alongside her father at the Congress attended by thousands of delegates, as reported by lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who participated in the meeting.

Kim Ju Ae first appeared publicly during a long-range missile test in November 2022 and has since accompanied her father to numerous significant events, such as weapons tests, military parades, and factory openings. Her notable presence was also highlighted during a trip to Beijing in September 2023 for Kim Jong Un's first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years, which occurred during a World War II commemorative event.

Speculation regarding Kim Ju Ae's political future surged last month when she participated in a New Year's Day visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang. This site is a revered family mausoleum containing the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather, who were the country's first two leaders. Observers interpreted this visit as a strong signal of her potential role as her father's successor.

Initially, South Korean officials expressed skepticism about a female leader emerging in North Korea due to the nation's conservative culture and tradition of male leadership. However, Kim Ju Ae's growing visibility in state media has prompted a reevaluation of her potential role in the leadership succession. Notably, in its previous assessment in September, the NIS characterized her training as being in the "successor training" phase. However, the more recent language referred to her status as being in the "successor-designate stage," indicating a significant shift.

According to Lee Seong Kweun, the agency cited various factors supporting this assessment, including Kim Ju Ae's increasing attendance at high-profile military events and her involvement in her family's visit to Kumsusan, alongside indications that Kim Jong Un is beginning to seek her input on policy matters.

While North Korean state media have never officially published her name, referring to her only as Kim Jong Un's "respected" or "most beloved" child, her name, Kim Ju Ae, is believed to derive from an account by former NBA player Dennis Rodman. Rodman recalled holding Kim's infant daughter during a visit to Pyongyang in 2013, with South Korean intelligence officials estimating that she was born that same year. In 2023, the NIS also reported that Kim Jong Un and his wife might have an older son and a younger third child whose gender remains unspecified.

Since its establishment in 1948, North Korea has been ruled exclusively by male members of the Kim family, starting with Kim Il Sung, succeeded by his son Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong Un was named as his father's successor at the young age of 26 during a party conference in 2010, following Kim Jong Il's stroke two years prior. Observers suggest that Kim Jong Un's decision to introduce his daughter publicly may reflect his personal experience of ascending to power with limited preparation.

The upcoming Workers' Party Congress, which last convened in 2016 and 2021, may serve as a platform for Kim Jong Un to formalize his succession plans. Analysts speculate that he could assign his daughter to a significant position, like the party's first secretary, despite party rules dictating that members must be at least 18 years old. However, if such a high-profile role is not immediately forthcoming, more subtle signs may indicate her cementing as successor, suggesting that the party might praise how North Korea has outlasted many other communist states as part of a "successful inheritance of the revolution."