North Korean Leader's Teenage Daughter Reportedly Directs Missile Command

Kim Jong Un's 13-year-old daughter, Kim Ju Ae, is reportedly acting in a capacity akin to the "head of missile command" within North Korea, issuing directives to senior military officials.

According to intelligence reports cited by South Korean media, the young daughter of the North Korean leader has been observed accompanying her father to nuclear and missile test launches. Analysts suggest she may have been assigned a role overseeing missile operations as part of an effort to establish her position within the military hierarchy at an early stage.

While the formal title of head of the Missile General Bureau is held by Jang Chang Ha, intelligence indicates that Kim Ju Ae allegedly receives briefings from generals and issues orders. This development was reportedly discussed during a closed-door parliamentary briefing by South Korea's National Intelligence Service on February 12.

The briefing also suggested these actions could be interpreted as preparations for succession. Furthermore, there are indications that Kim Jong Un's daughter has begun expressing her opinions on certain policy matters.

Observers are closely monitoring whether any related signs will emerge during the ongoing 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, which began on February 19.

North Korean state media first officially featured Kim Ju Ae in November 2022 when she accompanied her father to the launch of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile. She was referred to as his "beloved daughter," but her name was not disclosed at that time. This pattern mirrors how Kim Jong Un's own name was not publicly mentioned in press reports until September 2010 when he was formally introduced as the successor.

In other recent military developments, North Korea conducted several ballistic missile launches toward the East Sea/Sea of Japan earlier this year. According to South Korea's military, the missiles flew approximately 900 kilometers, marking Pyongyang's first weapons tests of 2026. In autumn 2025, Kim Jong Un and his daughter attended an air show commemorating the 80th anniversary of North Korea's air force.