Kim Jong Un names daughter Ju Ae (13) as heir

She is just 13-years-old and already reputed to be the second most powerful leader in North Korea.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) claims the leader of its northern neighbour, Kim Jong Un, has designated his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his successor.

"It's quite something, isn't it, to put that kind of pressure on," says world news correspondent Adam Gilchrist, while noting that it looks unlikely she'll have to take over the mantle anytime soon.

"She's alright in the sense that Kim Jong Un is relatively healthy and is only 42."

The teenager has already been seen accompanying her father to various high-profile public events.

"She's been photographed in public, which is unusual. The fact that as a young woman she's been given any responsibility is, itself, a bit of a game changer."

According to the BBC, images released by North Korean state media carry strong symbolic meaning, and it is unusual for anyone other than Kim Jong Un to be shown so prominently.

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But the story takes a more interesting turn, says Gilchrist, because it is widely believed that Kim Jong Un has two children.

"What has happened to the older brother? Kim Jong Un is meant to have an older son. What's going on with him? Is he still alive?

The succession of Ju Ae would continue the Kim family dynasty into a fourth generation.