- - Kim Jong Un’s daughter visits family mausoleum, promoting her potential status as heir in North Korea

January 2, 2026 at 2:51 PM

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The teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made her first known visit to a sacred family mausoleum, a step that experts say bolstered her status as her father’s potential heir.

The visit, which occurred on New Year’s Day on Thursday, even sparked speculation that the girl, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and aged about 13, could be named a high-level official at the upcoming ruling Workers’ Party congress.

Images carried by North Korea’s state media on Friday showed Kim Ju Ae standing in the front row with her parents and deeply bowing at Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, where the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather are on display.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C), his wife Ri Sol Ju and their daughter Kim Ju Ae visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to mark the new year in Pyongyang. KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Images

The palace is “a place that symbolizes 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, 41, is the third generation of his family to rule North Korea since the country’s foundation in 1948. He often marks key state anniversaries by visiting the Kumsusan palace and paying respect to his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung.

Cheong predicted that Kim Jong Un could give his daughter the first secretary post at the Workers’ Party, the party’s No. 2 job, at the congress.

Other experts say she is too young to accept such a high-profile post and might be provided with lower-level jobs.

The congress, the first of its kind in five years, is meant to establish new priorities in state policies and reshuffle officials. North Korea hasn’t said when it will hold it, but South Korea’s spy agency said it will likely be held either in January or February.

Since first appearing in state media in November 2022, Kim Ju Ae has accompanied her father at a slew of events including military parades and missile launches.

Kim Jong Un, his daughter Kim Ju Ae (C) and wife Ri Sol Ju (L) watch a New Year’s celebration performance at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang on December 31, 2025. KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Images

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae stand at a hotel reception counter as they attend an inauguration ceremony for hotels in the tourist resort in Samjiyon City, North Korea, December 20, 2025. via REUTERS

In September, Kim Ju Ae took her on his visit to Beijing. During New Years’ Day celebrations this week, she kissed her father on the cheek, showing their closeness.

In January 2024, South Korea’s spy agency said it viewed Kim Ju Ae as her father’s likely heir. Some outside experts disagree with that assessment, citing Kim Jong Un’s relatively young age and the extremely male-dominated nature of North Korea’s power hierarchy.

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Source: “AOL Breaking”