National Intelligence Service chief Lee Jong-seok (C) attends a plenary session of the intelligence committee at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
April 6 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said Monday the conflict between the United States and Iran could enter a lull by the end of this month, while also assessing that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is solidifying a succession plan centered on his daughter.
The assessment was delivered during a closed-door briefing to the National Assembly’s intelligence committee.
The agency said the conflict, which began in February, remains a war of attrition with relatively low likelihood of major escalation, despite continued military pressure.
It said the United States and Israel maintain battlefield superiority, while Iran is leveraging its geopolitical position, including control over energy routes, to sustain its position.
The agency said both sides may pursue limited negotiations, including a potential arrangement in which Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz and the United States releases frozen Iranian assets.
Officials said the possibility of the United States escalating the conflict with ground troop deployment remains low for now.
The agency added that the trajectory of the conflict over the coming days, particularly the impact of U.S. airstrikes, will likely determine whether tensions ease toward the end of April.
On North Korea, the intelligence service said Kim Jong Un’s daughter Ju-ae can now be regarded as a likely successor, based on recent intelligence.
It said Ju-ae has increasingly appeared in military-related settings, suggesting efforts to build her leadership profile and normalize the idea of a female successor.
The agency also said recent imagery and public appearances appear designed to highlight her military credentials, including staged scenes reminiscent of Kim Jong Un’s own rise to power.
In contrast, the agency assessed that Kim Yo Jong, Kim’s sister, does not hold substantial independent power, and will likely continue serving as a senior aide and public spokesperson.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260406010001642