Kim Jong Un’s Daughter Makes Symbolic Mausoleum Visit, Fueling Succession Speculation

Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, has made her first public visit to North Korea’s family mausoleum, a highly symbolic act seen as reinforcing her rising status and possible role as the country’s future leader. Her prominent placement during the visit and increasing appearances at major state events have fueled speculation that she may be formally elevated at the upcoming Workers’ Party congress.

In a carefully choreographed and highly symbolic move, the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made her first public appearance at the family mausoleum, a development that observers say further reinforces her growing prominence and strengthens speculation about her potential role as a future successor.
On Friday, North Korea’s state-run news agency KCNA released photographs showing Kim Ju Ae visiting the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang. The site holds deep political and historical significance, as it is where North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il Sung and his son and successor Kim Jong Il — Kim Ju Ae’s great-grandfather and grandfather — lie in state. The mausoleum has long served as a symbol of the legitimacy and continuity of the Kim dynasty’s rule.
Kim Ju Ae was accompanied by her parents during the visit and was surrounded by senior government and party officials, a detail that analysts say underscores the importance of the occasion. Her visible presence among the country’s elite leadership was widely interpreted as deliberate and meaningful.
She was first introduced to the public in 2022 when she appeared alongside her father at the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, an event that drew international attention. Since then, her public appearances have become more frequent and more prominent, including attendance at key state ceremonies and official functions. Each appearance has added to speculation about her political grooming and future role within the regime.
South Korea’s intelligence agency said last year that Kim Ju Ae is now believed to be next in line to rule North Korea. This assessment gained further traction after she accompanied her father on a high-profile visit to Beijing, a rare and symbolically important diplomatic engagement that suggested growing confidence in her public visibility on the international stage.
According to Cheong Seong-Chang, deputy head of South Korea’s private Sejong Institute, the visit to the mausoleum was a politically calculated act. He described the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun as a site that embodies the legitimacy of the North Korean regime and said her appearance there ahead of the ruling Workers’ Party congress was unlikely to be coincidental.
Cheong, who is the author of a book on the Kim family leadership, also noted the significance of Kim Ju Ae’s physical positioning during the visit. She was placed at the center of the front row, a spot traditionally reserved for Kim Jong Un himself. This departure from protocol was seen as a powerful visual signal of her elevated status within the leadership hierarchy.
Her appearance comes at a critical time as North Korea prepares for its Workers’ Party congress, the first such meeting in five years. The congress is expected to outline new policy priorities, review national strategies, and involve a reshuffling of senior officials within the party and government. Although Pyongyang has not officially announced the date, South Korea’s intelligence agency expects the gathering to take place in January or February.
Analysts have suggested that Kim Ju Ae could be formally assigned a high-ranking position within the ruling Workers’ Party during the congress. Such a move would further institutionalize her role and mark another step in what appears to be a carefully managed process of introducing her to both domestic and international audiences as a central figure in North Korea’s future leadership.