Kim Jong Un appears with daughter at mausoleum, fueling succession speculation

North Korea

Kim Jong Un appears with daughter at mausoleum, fueling succession speculation

Ju Ae, believed to be around 12 or 13, appeared at symbolic mausoleum on New Year's Day in latest public positioning

Michael Sinkewicz Fox News

Published

January 1, 2026 9:36pm EST

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared publicly with his daughter, Ju Ae, during a New Year’s Day visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a highly symbolic site honoring the country’s founding leaders.

Images from the state news agency KCNA show Ju Ae standing between her parents in the main hall of the mausoleum, a moment that analysts say has fueled speculation about her future role in the regime.

Ju Ae has been featured more often in state media over the past three years, fueling speculation by analysts and South Korea’s intelligence agency that she may be positioned as a potential successor to Kim Jong Un.

The appearance comes amid a longstanding tradition in North Korea, where Kim visits the mausoleum on key dates and anniversaries to reinforce the legitimacy of the nuclear-armed country's dynastic heritage.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his wife Ri Sol Ju and their daughter Kim Ju Ae visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to mark the New Year, in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Jan. 1. (KCNA via Reuters)

North Korea has never confirmed Ju Ae’s age, and her exact age remains unknown, but she is believed to be around 12 or 13 years old.

After being publicly introduced in North Korea in 2022, Ju Ae made her first public appearance outside of her home country while accompanying her father on a trip to Beijing in September, his first visit to China in years, a move analysts said may signal her role as North Korea’s heir-in-waiting.

Ju Ae's existence was inadvertently revealed by retired NBA star Dennis Rodman over a decade ago in an interview with The Guardian.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae attended an event to celebrate the New Year, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (KCNA via Reuters)

Rodman told reporters during a 2013 trip to Pyongyang that he had "held the baby Ju Ae," while calling Kim Jong Un a "good dad."

Parenting expert Kirsty Ketley told Fox News Digital in September that placing Ju Ae in the global spotlight at a young age could have lasting consequences.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae attended an event to mark the New Year. (KCNA via Reuters)

"She’s being shaped into a role, rather than being supported to figure out who she is as an individual and that pressure could have a huge impact on her mental health," she said.

Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey and Reuterscontributed to this report.

Michael Sinkewicz is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to michael.sinkewicz@fox.com

Kim Jong Un appears with daughter at mausoleum, fueling succession speculation