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South Korea's spy agency has indicated that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's teenage daughter, Ju Ae, is being positioned as his successor. This assessment is based on credible intelligence, including public displays such as her driving a tank, which were likely intended to dispel doubts about a female heir. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) briefed lawmakers, stating the imagery was meant to highlight her military aptitude. North Korea's state-run media KCNA published photos of Kim Jong Un and his daughter driving a tank, along with earlier images showing her firing a rifle and using a handgun. These scenes were intended to pay homage to Kim's own public military appearances during the early 2010s, when he was being groomed to succeed his father. The latest assessment suggests Ju Ae, believed to be around 13 years old, is increasingly prominent in defense-related events. This is part of a strategy to ease doubts over a female successor and accelerate the construction of a succession narrative. Lawmakers cited the NIS, noting Ju Ae’s role suggests she is already treated as the de facto second-highest figure in North Korea’s leadership. However, some North Korea experts urge caution. Analyst Hong Min from the Korea Institute for National Unification pointed out that Ju Ae’s tank appearance alone was insufficient to confirm her as Kim Jong Un’s heir, as she appeared alongside her father rather than independently, unlike Kim Jong Un’s solo military appearances during his own grooming phase. Additionally, lawmakers mentioned that suggestions Kim Jong Un’s younger sister Kim Yo Jong might be unhappy about the focus on Ju Ae were dismissed, as Kim Yo Jong does not hold independent power.