Kim Ju-ae’s mausoleum visit fuels succession talkAFP, SEOULNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, has made her first public visit to a mausoleum housing her grandfather and great-grandfather, state media images showed yesterday, further solidifying her place as likely next in line to run the nuclear-armed dictatorship. Kim Jong-un is the third in line to rule in the world’s only communist monarchy, following his father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Il-sung. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, front, third right, and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, center, visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to mark the new year in Pyongyang in a picture released by state media yesterday. It could be “interpreted as reporting to the ‘eternal leaders’ Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il that she is being presented as his successor,” he said. On Thursday, footage showed Ju-ae accompanying her parents at New Year celebrations in Pyongyang.

Source: Taipei Times January 02, 2026 17:11 UTC