Kim Jong Un’s Daughter Ju Ae Makes First Visit to Kumsusan Mausoleum, Fuelling Succession Speculation

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Ju Ae, widely believed by analysts to be a potential successor, has made her first public visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang alongside her parents, according to images released by state media.

Photographs published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday showed Kim Jong Un, his wife Ri Sol Ju, and their daughter paying respects to former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, whose embalmed bodies are housed at the mausoleum. Ju Ae was seen standing between her parents in the palace’s main hall during the visit on January 1.

Observers say the appearance reinforces the importance of the ruling family’s so-called “Paektu bloodline”, a central pillar of North Korean propaganda that has helped the Kim dynasty maintain power for decades.

Ju Ae has appeared with increasing frequency in state media over the past three years, prompting growing speculation from analysts and South Korea’s intelligence agencies that she may be groomed as North Korea’s fourth-generation leader.

She was first publicly introduced in 2022, when she accompanied her father to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Believed to have been born in the early 2010s, Ju Ae has since attended major national events, including New Year celebrations, and in September made her first overseas appearance during a visit to Beijing with her father.

North Korean state media have referred to her using unusually elevated language, calling her the “beloved child” and a “great person of guidance”, or hyangdo — a title historically reserved for senior leaders and their designated successors.

The visit to the mausoleum coincided with politically significant dates, further underscoring the regime’s emphasis on dynastic continuity. North Korea has never formally announced leadership successions, instead signalling transitions gradually through symbolic public appearances and expanding visibility.

Before 2022, Ju Ae’s existence had not been officially acknowledged, though former NBA player Dennis Rodman had mentioned meeting Kim Jong Un’s daughter during a visit to the country in 2013.

The development comes as Kim Jong Un continues to emphasise military preparedness, pledging to expand production of missiles and artillery shells, which he has described as a key “war deterrent” amid heightened military activity by the United States and South Korea.