Kim Jong-un's daughter marks major milestone with latest appearance sparking heir theories

Kim Jong-Un and his daughter, pictured on New Year's Eve (Image: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Image)

The teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has marked a major milestone with her first known visit to a sacred family mausoleum, bolstering speculation that she is being positioned as her father's potential successor. The visit took place on New Year's Day on Thursday, prompting suggestions that the girl—reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and aged about 13—could be appointed to a senior role at the forthcoming ruling Workers’ Party congress.

Images published by North Korea’s state media on Friday showed Kim Ju Ae standing in the front row alongside her parents, bowing deeply at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, where the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather lie in state. The palace is “a place that symbolises the legitimacy of the North Korean regime”, and her visit there ahead of the Workers’ Party congress is a politically orchestrated move, said Cheong Seong-Chang, deputy head of the private Sejong Institute in South Korea.

Kim Jong-Un and his daughter visit the mausoleum (Image: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Image)

Kim Jong-Un, 41, is the third generation of his family to rule North Korea since the country’s founding in 1948. He frequently marks key state anniversaries by visiting the Kumsusan palace to pay respects to his father, Kim Jong Il, and grandfather, Kim Il Sung.

Cheong predicted that Kim Jong-Un could appoint his daughter to the post of first secretary at the Workers’ Party—the party’s number two position—at the congress. Other experts argue she is too young for such a prominent role and might instead receive a lower-level position.

The congress, the first in five years, is intended to set new state policy priorities and reshuffle officials. North Korea has not announced a date, but South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) believes it will likely take place in January or February.

Since her first appearance in state media in November 2022, Kim Ju Ae has accompanied her father to numerous events, including military parades and missile launches.

In September, Kim Jong-Un took her on his trip to Beijing. During this week’s New Year celebrations, she kissed her father on the cheek, highlighting their closeness.

In January 2024, the NIS stated it regarded Kim Ju-Ae as her father’s probable successor. Some outside experts dispute this, pointing to Kim Jong-Un’s relatively young age and the deeply patriarchal nature of North Korea’s power structure. The NIS informed lawmakers in November that Kim appeared to have no serious health issues.

The public unveiling of the young Kim Ju-Ae surprised foreign observers, as neither Kim Jong-Un nor Kim Jong Il were mentioned in North Korean state media until they reached adulthood.

Some analysts suggest Kim Jong-Un has repeatedly featured her in public events to build domestic support for extending family rule.