Kim Jong Un's daughter joins symbolic visit to family mausoleum

by · UPI

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's daughter made her first known visit to the ruling family's mausoleum, images released by state media Friday showed, a symbolic appearance that has fueled speculation about her potential role in the country's dynastic succession.

Kim Ju Ae joined her parents and senior officials for a New Year's visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, where Kim Jong Un's late father and grandfather lie in state.

The official Korean Central News Agency reported on Kim Jong Un's visit but did not mention Ju Ae by name. A photograph released by the agency, however, showed her standing in the front row of assembled dignitaries, flanked by her parents.

"All the visitors made a firm pledge to fulfill their responsibility and duty in the vanguard of accomplishing the sacred cause for the eternal prosperity and development of the great DPRK ... true to the ideas and leadership of Kim Jong Un with single-minded loyalty," KCNA said.

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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

The appearance marked the first known visit to the family mausoleum by Ju Ae. She was first seen in state media in 2022, when she accompanied her father to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

She has since appeared at a growing number of official events, strengthening speculation among analysts that she is being positioned as Kim Jong Un's eventual successor.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service told lawmakers last year it had concluded Ju Ae was being groomed to succeed her father, citing her expanding public profile and the language used to describe her in state media.

The spy agency noted that she is frequently referred to as "hyangdo," a Korean term meaning "guide" that is traditionally reserved for top leaders and their successors.

Ju Ae, believed to be around 12 or 13 years old, made her first known overseas public appearance in September, when she accompanied her father on a state visit to Beijing.

The Kim family has ruled North Korea since its establishment in 1948 under Kim Il Sung. After his death in 1994, his son Kim Jong Il assumed power, followed by third-generation leader Kim Jong Un in late 2011.

Kim Jong Un has typically visited the mausoleum on New Year's Day since taking power, though he skipped the occasion in 2018, 2024 and 2025. His last visit was in 2023.

On Friday, South Korea's Unification Ministry confirmed that this year's visit marked the first time Kim Jong Un's daughter had publicly accompanied him to the mausoleum.

"We are closely watching as this is [Ju Ae's] first visit," deputy spokeswoman Chang Yoon-jeong told a briefing. "We will continue to closely monitor her activities."