Kim Jong Un Seen With Daughter At New Year's Celebrations, Fuelling Succession Speculation

Last Updated:January 02, 2026, 11:04 IST

Kim Jong Un appeared with his daughter Kim Ju Ae at key New Year events, drawing fresh attention to her growing public profile.

Kim Jong Un with daughter Kim Ju Ae (Photos: AFP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared publicly with his daughter Kim Ju Ae during New Year’s Day events, including a highly symbolic visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun and celebrations in Pyongyang, moves that have again fuelled speculation about succession in the nuclear-armed state.

State-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) images showed Kim Ju Ae standing between her parents, Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju, in the main hall of the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on January 1.

The vast mausoleum houses the embalmed bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s founding leader and former ruler, who are revered in state propaganda as “eternal leaders," AFP reported.

Kim’s visit to the palace follows a long-standing tradition in which North Korean leaders pay respects at the mausoleum on key dates and anniversaries to reinforce the legitimacy of the country’s dynastic rule.

Analysts said the presence of Kim Ju Ae at such a symbolic site was closely watched, as it marked her first public appearance there.

According to Reuters, Kim Ju Ae has been featured increasingly prominently in state media over the past three years, fuelling speculation by analysts and South Korea’s intelligence agency that she may be positioned as a potential successor.

Cheong Seong-chang, vice president at the Sejong Institute think tank, was quoted by Reuters as viewing Ju Ae’s first appearance at the mausoleum as a calculated move by her father ahead of an upcoming ruling party congress at which her succession “might be formalised."

However, South Korean officials have urged caution.

Reuters reported that a spokesperson for South Korea’s Unification Ministry declined to comment on Ju Ae’s appearance, saying it was too early to say she was a successor given her age and the fact that she does not hold an official position.

Hong Min, an expert on North Korea at the state-run Korea Institute for Unification, told Reuters that the regime had been portraying an image of Kim’s “stable family" by showing his wife and daughter alongside him at major events.

He also warned against drawing firm conclusions, saying, “It’s practically impossible to publicly designate Kim Ju Ae, who is believed to have just turned 13, as the successor when she’s not even old enough to join the (Workers’) Party."

Kim Ju Ae also made a public appearance during New Year celebrations in Pyongyang, which included fireworks, patriotic songs and dances, and a taekwondo demonstration, Reuters reported.

KCNA photographs showed her accompanying her father during the festivities, hugging children, sitting next to him and holding hands with him.

During the celebrations, Kim Jong Un delivered a speech praising what he described as the people’s “successes and phenomenal changes" in 2025 and calling for unity ahead of a key Workers’ Party congress expected to be held in early 2026.

Kim Ju Ae was first publicly introduced in 2022, when she accompanied her father to an intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

Since then, North Korean state media have referred to her as “the beloved child" and a “great person of guidance," or “hyangdo" in Korean, a term typically reserved for top leaders and their successors.

Kim Ju Ae, who is believed to have been born in the early 2010s, has also attended other major state events, including this year’s New Year celebrations.

Despite the growing visibility, North Korea has never officially confirmed Kim Ju Ae’s age or her status, and the leadership has made no formal announcement regarding succession.

News world Kim Jong Un Seen With Daughter At New Year's Celebrations, Fuelling Succession Speculation

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