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

First Visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun Raises Speculation About Succession
Possibility of Receiving an Official Title Also Discussed

Yonhap News

Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un, paid her first visit on New Year's Day to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the remains of her ancestors are enshrined. A photo was released showing Kim Ju Ae standing at the very center, flanked by her parents, Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol Ju. As speculation about Kim Ju Ae as a potential successor gains momentum, some observers are also paying attention to the possibility that she may receive an official title at the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, which is scheduled to be held early this year.

According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on January 2, Kim Jong Un visited 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, heads of provincial-level organizations, and commanders of the Ministry of Defense.

The photos released by the agency that day also featured Kim Jong Un, his wife Ri Sol Ju, and their daughter Kim Ju Ae. This was the first time since 2022, when she was first mentioned in North Korean media reports, that Kim Ju Ae was seen visiting the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. Notably, Kim Ju Ae stood in the very front row, in the center, with her mother Ri Sol Ju on her left and her father Kim Jong Un on her right. She took the central position, even ahead of Kim Jong Un, the country's supreme leader.

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, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, are enshrined. It is a space symbolizing the "Baekdu bloodline" that connects Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un. Given the high symbolic significance of this space, Kim Ju Ae's central position on New Year's Day is being interpreted as a deliberate message regarding the future succession structure.

Im Eul Chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, stated, "The fact that Kim Ju Ae set foot for the first time in the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, North Korea's most sacred site, is an official declaration to the world and the North Korean people of her status as the 'successor of the revolution' who directly inherits the instructions of previous leaders." He added, "Unlike Kim Jong Un, who succeeded power in a hurried manner, Kim Ju Ae is gradually being built up as a prepared leader by participating in key rituals such as visits 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 of Korea. If such a scenario materializes, Kim Ju Ae's chances of being elevated as the official successor would significantly increase. Professor Im said, "Granting Kim Ju Ae an official title is entirely possible, given the unique leadership system in North Korea, but conferring an official title on a minor, estimated to be around 13 years old, also carries potential risks." He assessed that "it is possible she may be given a symbolic leadership position." However, some view this as premature speculation. Hong Min, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, commented, "Announcing Kim Ju Ae as a successor before she is even eligible to join the Workers' Party would require enormous political energy and would be an overwhelming burden, making it realistically impossible."

Meanwhile, it is expected that North Korea will present the national goal of building a "socialist powerhouse" at the 9th Party Congress, which is anticipated to be held early this year. To this end, North Korea is predicted to announce second-phase plans alongside evaluations of the "Five-Year National Economic Development Plan" and the "Five-Year Defense Development Plan," both of which began in 2021 in the economic and defense sectors. 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 dual-track policy of developing both nuclear and conventional weapons.