Kim Ju Ae may have younger sibling, Seoul spy agency says

South Korea's National Intelligence Service said Thursday that Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, is believed to have a younger sibling whose gender is not known.

The agency said it currently assesses that Kim Ju Ae is being groomed as Kim's successor. It also said it was still checking whether she has an older brother, but believes that even if such a brother exists, he is not in a position to become successor.

Seoul's spy agency has previously said Kim Jong Un is believed to have three children, but there has been uncertainty about their order of birth.

Kim Ju Ae was first introduced to the public in 2022 when she accompanied her father to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Since then, she has appeared at several major political events with him, including a high-profile visit to Beijing.

North Korean state media have called her "the beloved child" and a "great person of guidance", using a Korean term typically reserved for top leaders and their successors.

The Kim family has ruled North Korea for decades, and the family's "Paektu bloodline" is central to the country's official personality cult.