North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter Ju Ae's recent public appearances have fuelled the speculations that she may be being groomed as his successor.
In the most recent appearance, the teen is seen with her parents at the state Mausoleum, The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which houses the bodies of founding leader Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
Analysts said that such an appearance carries symbolic significance.
Some observers, however, said that the appearance with her father and mother, Ri Sol Ju, was to emphasise the image of a loving family.
It is Ju Ae’s first known visit to the family mausoleum since she appeared publicly for the first time in November 2022.
Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said that the move indicated that the country was reaffirming Ju Ae as the successor of the revolution. "Her tribute signals that (North Korea) will likely test her political role in earnest starting in 2026," Lim said.
The year 2026 will see the convening of the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party WPK, a decisive event which will shape Pyongyang’s strategy, formalising its direction.
Cheong Seong-Chang, vice president of the Sejong Institute, told the Korean Herald that Ju Ae's presence was a deliberate political signal ahead of the ruling party’s meeting, which will likely take place in February.
“Resuming the New Year’s visit to the Kumsusan Palace together with Kim Ju-ae appears to be a carefully orchestrated political move ahead of the ninth Workers’ Party Congress,” “It can be interpreted as an indication that Kim Jong-un intends to formalise her status domestically and internationally as his successor,” Cheong said.
He also said that placing Ju Ae in the central position in the formation, traditionally occupied by Kim Jong Un himself, carried particular weight.
“This can be seen as Kim Jong-un symbolically reporting to his predecessors, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, that he intends to present Kim Ju-ae as his successor at the upcoming party congress,” Cheong said.
North Korean leaders typically go through three stages before they are appointed formally. The first involves designation and grooming, then domestic formalisation, followed by international formalisation. Cheong said that Kim Ju Ae appears to be in the first stage. The ninth party congress meeting is likely to serve as the turning point for her entry into the next two stages.
Ju Ae’s appearance is also meant to reinforce state messaging around stability and continuity amid the heightened tension around the country’s nuclear program.
