North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, made her first public visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun this week, accompanying her parents to pay respects to the country’s former leaders, in a move that has reignited speculation about her potential role as a future successor.
State media photographs released on Friday (Jan 2) showed Ju Ae standing between Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, in the main hall of the Kumsusan mausoleum during a visit on Jan 1. The site is the final resting place of Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea, and Kim Jong Il, the country’s late leader and Kim Jong Un’s father. Visits to the mausoleum on major national dates are a long-standing ritual used by the ruling Kim family to affirm the country’s dynastic political lineage.
Ju Ae’s appearance was notable not only because it marked her first publicly documented visit to Kumsusan, but also because it came amid a steady rise in her visibility in state media over the past three years. Analysts and South Korea’s intelligence agency have increasingly suggested that the young girl may be being prepared as a fourth-generation leader of the nuclear-armed state.
Cheong Seong-chang, vice president of the Seoul-based Sejong Institute, described the visit as a carefully calculated signal by Kim Jong Un. He said Ju Ae’s presence at such a politically and symbolically charged location could be intended to elevate her status ahead of an upcoming congress of the ruling Workers’ Party, where succession-related narratives could be further shaped.
“The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun is not just a memorial site, but the spiritual core of North Korea’s ruling system,” Cheong said. “Allowing Ju Ae to appear there publicly for the first time suggests a deliberate effort to associate her with the legitimacy of the Kim bloodline.”
Kim Jong Un was accompanied by senior party and military officials during the visit, according to photographs carried by the state news agency KCNA. Ju Ae’s placement between her parents in the images appeared carefully staged, reinforcing what analysts describe as an effort to project continuity, stability and unity within the ruling family.
Hong Min, a senior researcher at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, said the regime has increasingly emphasized images of Kim’s “stable family” by showcasing his wife and daughter at key political and national events. “This kind of imagery is intended to reassure elites and the public alike about the durability of the leadership system,” Hong said.
Ju Ae, believed to have been born in the early 2010s, has attended several high-profile events in recent years, including missile launches, military parades and this year’s New Year celebrations. In September, she accompanied her father to Beijing, marking her first known public overseas trip—another milestone that drew attention from regional observers.
Despite the growing focus on Ju Ae, North Korea has never officially confirmed her age or acknowledged her as a successor. South Korea’s Unification Ministry struck a cautious tone in response to the latest appearance. A spokesperson declined to comment directly, while an official told reporters that it is still too early to determine whether Ju Ae is being groomed for leadership, citing her young age and the absence of any formal political position.
Hong also urged restraint, noting that Kim Jong Un is believed to have other children whose roles remain unknown. “It’s practically impossible to publicly designate Kim Ju Ae, who is thought to be around 13, as a successor when she is not even old enough to join the Workers’ Party,” he said.
For now, Ju Ae’s growing presence remains symbolic rather than institutional. Yet in a system where symbolism carries immense political weight, her appearance at Kumsusan underscores how even carefully choreographed images can offer clues about the future direction of one of the world’s most secretive regimes.
