North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, has made her first public visit to the mausoleum housing her grandfather and great-grandfather, according to state media images released on Friday. The appearance has further strengthened speculation that she is being positioned as the next leader of the nuclear-armed state.
Kim Jong-un, the third-generation ruler of North Korea, visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, where former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, described as the country’s “eternal leaders,” are enshrined. The Korean Central News Agency reported that senior officials accompanied him, while photographs showed Kim Ju-ae standing prominently beside her father.
Observers say the visit carries strong symbolic weight. South Korea’s intelligence agency previously assessed that Kim Ju-ae had emerged as the likely successor after she joined her father during a high-profile visit to Beijing. Since then, her appearances at key state events have steadily increased.
Cheong Seong-chang of Seoul’s Sejong Institute said he expects Kim Ju-ae to be formally confirmed as successor in the near future. He noted that her placement at the center of the front row during the mausoleum visit was particularly significant, as that position traditionally belongs to the supreme leader. According to Cheong, the imagery may represent a ritual presentation of the successor to North Korea’s revered founding figures.
Kim Ju-ae first drew international attention in 2022 when she accompanied her father to an intercontinental ballistic missile launch. Since then, state media have used honorific language to describe her, including terms historically reserved for top leaders and their heirs.
Before that, public confirmation of her existence came only from former NBA star Dennis Rodman following his 2013 visit to North Korea. Analysts now suggest she could soon assume a senior party role, possibly as First Secretary of the Workers’ Party Central Committee.
Meanwhile, footage from New Year celebrations in Pyongyang showed Kim Ju-ae accompanying her parents, while her mother maintained a low profile. A rare public display of affection between father and daughter drew widespread attention, particularly in South Korea.
