Kim Jong Un’s daughter steps into spotlight at mausoleum, fuels succession talk | Watch

Kim Jong Un makes bold New Year statement with daughter’s rare mausoleum visit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was joined by his daughter Ju Ae on her first public visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, state media images released on Friday showed, fuelling fresh speculation that she may be being prepared as his successor.

The visit took place on January 1, when Kim paid respects at the mausoleum where the embalmed bodies of his grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung, and his father Kim Jong Il, lie in state. Kim was accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol Ju, senior officials, and top military leaders, according to photographs published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rings in 2026 with wife and daughter pic.twitter.com/ws8ErtUPSA

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Ju Ae stood between her parents in the main hall of the mausoleum, marking her first appearance at the highly symbolic event, which Kim traditionally attends on major anniversaries to reinforce the ruling family’s dynastic legacy.

According to KCNA, Kim “paid New Year greetings to the great leaders” at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun.

“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 [North Korea] and the promotion of the people's wellbeing, true to the ideas and leadership of Kim Jong-un with single-minded loyalty,” the agency said.

Ju Ae, believed to have been born in the early 2010s, has appeared with increasing frequency in state media over the past three years, prompting analysts and South Korea’s intelligence agency to suggest she may be in line to become the country’s fourth-generation leader. North Korea has never officially confirmed her age.

She also attended New Year celebrations this week and, in September, made her first known overseas appearance when she travelled with her father to Beijing.

Kim Jong Un has visited the mausoleum almost every year since taking power, with only rare exceptions. However, Ju Ae’s presence alongside her parents drew particular attention, as it was her first time attending the event since her public debut in 2022.

Speculation over succession intensified after images emerged showing Ju Ae kissing her father on the cheek during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Pyongyang, just hours before the mausoleum visit. While some analysts believe her prominent role may signal grooming for leadership, rumours persist that Kim may also have a son who has never been publicly seen.