SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s spy agency says it’s now fair to view the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as his heir, its strongest assessment yet on the rising political status of the girl who it believes could extend her family’s rule into a fourth generation.
The girl, dubbed by state media as Kim’s “most beloved” or “respected” child, has accompanied her father to numerous high-profile events since late 2022, sparking outside speculation that she’s being groomed as the North’s future leader.
In a closed-door briefing at the National Assembly Monday, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service director Lee Jong-seok said the girl could be considered Kim’s successor, in response to questions by lawmakers about her political standing, according to Lee Seong Kweun, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting.
Asked about possible protests by Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong, who has been long regarded as the North’s No. 2 figure, the NIS director responded that she has no substantial powers, lawmaker Lee told a briefing. He cited the NIS as citing unspecified “reliable intelligence.”
It was a stronger assessment by the NIS on the girl’s status. In early 2024, it described the girl as her father’s likely heir, its first official assessment on her possible grooming as the North’s next leader. In February this year, the agency said it believed she was close to being designated as the country’s future leader.
Some observers disagree with the NIS’ assessment, saying North Korea’s extremely male-centered society won’t likely embrace a woman leader. They also said Kim, 42, is too young to name his successor, a development that could weaken his grip on power.
The girl is reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and aged about 13, but North Korea’s state media hasn’t released such personal details. Her reported name is based on an account by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who recalled holding Kim Jong Un’s baby daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013.
Established in 1948, North Korea has been successively ruled by male members of the Kim family. Kim Jong Un inherited power upon his father Kim Jong Il’s death in late 2011. Kim Jong Il took over power after his father and state founder Kim Il Sung died in 1994.
Some of the girl’s recent public appearances included her driving a tank during army training supervised by her father and the pair firing pistols during a visit to a light munitions factory.
During Monday’s briefing, the NIS said North Korean authorities appeared to have organized such events to build up her military credentials and “reduce skepticism about a woman successor,” lawmaker Lee said.
Park Sunwon, another lawmaker who attended the briefing, made similar comments on the NIS’ assessment on the girl’s recent military appearances.
FILE - This photo provided by the North Korean government shows its leader Kim Jong Un, front right, his daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae, and other soldiers on a tank at a military training base in North Korea, on March 19, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
FILE - In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un attends a parade with his daughter in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Feb. 25, 2026 as the North wrapped up the Workers' Party congress. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Catchers were far more successful than batters through Major League Baseball's first full week of challenges to robot umpires, led by the Detroit Tigers and Dillon Dingler.
The overall success rate in the Automated Ball-Strike System was 55.2% (299 of 542), with fielding teams winning 59.7% of challenges (175 of 293), including 60.4% by catchers (169 of 280).
“I like it a little more. I was pretty staunch against it, which I still may be to some degree,” New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
There were just 13 challenges by pitchers, who won six. Batters were successful on 49.8% (124 of 249).
“I think it’s fun. It’s its own game inside the game, almost," Tampa Bay catcher Hunter Feduccia said.
Success rate was up from 49.5% last year at Triple-A, where defense won 53.7% and batters 49.5%
Detroit won the highest percentage of calls at 75% (15 of 20) while Arizona was at 71%, and Baltimore and Cincinnati both 67%.
Minnesota called for the most challenges with 32, winning 20 for a 63% success rate. Texas had the fewest, winning 4 of 10.
Cleveland was the least successful at 32%, with Washington at 38% and St. Louis and Texas at 40%
Detroit catchers were 8-0, with seven wins by Dingler.
ABS' impact could be seen when Atlanta played at Arizona last Thursday. The Braves were ahead 2-1 when the Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson threw a 3-2 curveball on the upper, outside corner to Ozzie Albies that was called a strike by Malachi Moore. Albies challenged and headed toward first even before ABS showed the pitch missed the strike zone by 1.1 inches. The walk started an eight-run rally in a 17-2 romp.
“In some of these games, it’s had a more of a swinging effect on outcomes of at-bats and how things change than maybe even you thought,” Miami manager Clayton McCullough said.
Logan O’Hoppe of the Los Angeles Angels had the most victories, successful on 10 of 12. The Marlins’ Agustín Ramírez won 7 of 9 and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith 8 of 11.
Seattle’s Cal Raleigh won 4 of 9 and the Athletics’ Shea Langeliers 3 of 9.
Among batters, Mark Vientos of the New York Mets and Iván Herrera both went 3-0. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels was 3-1 along with Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber and Tampa Bay's Jake Fraley.
Colorado's Hunter Goodman and Washington's Luis García Jr. were both 0 for 3.
Boone said Yankees staff and players daily review challenges made and opportunities missed.
Players still are getting used to ABS. Washington's Jorbit Vivas tapped his helmet signaling for an appeal on March 31 when the Nationals already had exhausted their two challenges.
Among umpires, Mike Estabrook had 11 of 12 calls overturned (91.7%), Andy Fletcher had 15 of 17 (88.2%), Ron Kulpa and Paul Clemons each 7 of 9 (77.8%) and Chris Segal 10 of 13 (76.9%), according to taptochallenge.com.
Will Little had just 1 of 10 calls reversed while Erich Bacchus was perfect with no overturned calls in five challenges. Others with low overturn rates with at least five challenges included Emil Jiménez (1 of 5), Jordan Baker (2 of 8), Ryan Additon and Nick Mahrley (both 2 of 7) and David Rackley (3 of 10).
Offense again lagged through the first 139 games of the 2,430-game season.
The .234 big league batting average is down from .239 through 12 days last year (including the two games in Japan), when it finished at .245. The average usually increases as the weather warms. The full-season low of .237 was set in 1968.
Runs per game averaged 8.8, up from 8.7, and stolen bases dropped to 1.4 per game from 1.6
Average fastball velocity is 94.6 mph, up from 94.1 mph through the first full week last year. The final figure increased in each of the last five seasons to a record 94.5 mph in 2025. It was 91.9 mph when MLB first started tracking in 2008.
“I wish I was facing the same pitching as I did my rookie year back when guys were throwing 88-mile-an-hour sinkers over the plate," said 33-year-old Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges. “That pitch doesn’t exist anymore.”
The average time of a nine-inning game is 2 hours, 43 minutes, up from 2:37 at this point last year, when it finished at 2:38.
Pitch clock violations averaged 0.17 per game, down from 0.22 through 139 games last year.
MLB's average crowd of 31,725 through 138 dates was up 1.5% over 31,255 for the same period last year.
AP Sports Writers Dan Gelston and Steve Megargee, and AP freelance writer Tom Withers contributed to this report.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Houston Astros' Jose Altuve (27) watches a replay of the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Houston, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Minnesota Twins' Josh Bell, right, signals for an ABS challenge on a called third strike, which was upheld, during the first inning of baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler throws to first base for an out on a St. Louis Cardinals' Victor Scott II bunt in the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
