Kim Ju Ae Pays First Visit to Kim Il Sung-Kim Jong Il Mausoleum... Attention on Her 'Central' Position

First Visit to Kumsusan Palace of the Sun
Speculation Grows Over Succession
Possibility of Official Title Also Raised

Yonhap News

Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un, paid her first visit on January 1 to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the remains of her forebears are enshrined. A photograph was also released showing Kim Ju Ae standing at the very center, flanked by her parents, Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol Ju. Amid growing speculation that Kim Ju Ae could be a successor, some observers are now focusing on the possibility that she may be given an official title at the 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party, scheduled to be held early this year.

According to a report from the Korean Central News Agency on January 2, Chairman Kim Jong Un paid his respects at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun the previous day. The visit was attended by senior party and government officials, members of the Party Central Committee, the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly, the Cabinet, provincial-level institution leaders, and commanders of the Ministry of National Defense.

The photographs released by the news agency that day included Kim Jong Un, his wife Ri Sol Ju, and their daughter Kim Ju Ae. This marks the first time Kim Ju Ae has appeared in North Korean media visiting the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun since 2022. Notably, Kim Ju Ae stood in the very center of the front row, with her mother Ri Sol Ju to her left and her father Kim Jong Un to her right-taking the central position ahead of North Korea’s supreme leader himself.

The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, formerly used as the presidential palace, is where the embalmed bodies of North Korea’s first and second leaders, President Kim Il Sung and National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong Il, are enshrined. It is a symbolic space representing the “Paektu bloodline” that connects Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un. Given the high symbolic significance of this location, Kim Ju Ae’s placement at the very center on New Year’s Day is seen by some as a deliberate message regarding the future succession structure.

Lim Eulchul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said, “The fact that Kim Ju Ae has set foot for the first time in the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, North Korea’s holiest site, is an official declaration both domestically and internationally of her status as the ‘heir to the revolution’ directly inheriting the will of her predecessors. Unlike Chairman Kim, who inherited power abruptly, Kim Ju Ae appears to be gradually building a narrative as a prepared leader by participating in core rituals such as pilgrimages to sacred sites from a young age.”

There is also speculation that North Korea may grant Kim Ju Ae an official title at the 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party. If such a scenario materializes, Kim Ju Ae is likely to emerge as the official successor. Professor Lim assessed, “Given the unique nature of North Korea’s single-leader system, it is entirely possible to grant Kim Ju Ae an official title. However, bestowing an official title on a minor, estimated to be around 13 years old, also carries potential risks. She may be given a symbolic leadership position.” However, some believe such predictions are premature. Hong Min, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, commented, “Revealing Kim Ju Ae as the successor before she is even eligible to join the Workers’ Party would require enormous political capital and energy, making it practically impossible.”

Meanwhile, North Korea is expected to present its national goal of building a “powerful socialist state” at the 9th Party Congress, which is anticipated to be held early this year. To this end, it is predicted that North Korea will announce a second phase of plans, along with evaluations of the “Five-Year National Economic Development Plan” and the “Five-Year Plan for Defense Capability Development” that began in 2021, in the fields of economy and national defense. In the defense sector, North Korea is expected to demonstrate its influence across Northeast Asia, beyond the Korean Peninsula, based on its accumulated nuclear capabilities, and to further strengthen its policy of pursuing both nuclear and conventional weapons development.