North Korea Leader’s Daughter Makes First Public Visit

YONGYANG: Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, made her first public visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the mausoleum of her grandfather Kim Il Sung and great-grandfather Kim Jong Il, state media images revealed on Friday. The visit has intensified speculation that she could be the next in line to lead the nuclear-armed nation.

The Kim family has maintained a strict grip on North Korea for decades, with the Paektu bloodline at the center of an enduring cult of personality that dominates the country’s political and social life. Kim Jong Un, the current leader, is the third generation to rule, following his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung, both of whom are venerated as “eternal leaders”.

State media, via the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported that Kim Jong Un visited the palace with top officials, and images showed Kim Ju Ae positioned prominently alongside him.

South Korea’s intelligence agency had indicated last year that Ju Ae is considered the next in line after accompanying her father on a high-profile visit to Beijing.

Expected to Be Formally Confirmed
Cheong Seong-chang of Seoul’s Sejong Institute suggested that Kim Ju Ae could soon be formally confirmed as the next successor, both domestically and internationally. Her placement in the front row of the mausoleum, traditionally reserved for her father, is seen as a symbolic presentation to the “eternal leaders”, signaling her future role as Kim Jong Un’s successor.

Cheong noted, “Her positioning can be interpreted as signaling to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il that she is being presented as the heir to the leadership.”