Overview
- State media photos dated January 1 show Kim Ju Ae accompanying her parents at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, positioned between Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol-ju in the main hall.
- KCNA’s written report on the New Year’s visit did not name her, even as released images placed her prominently in the front row.
- South Korea’s National Intelligence Service and outside analysts assess that her rising profile suggests grooming for succession, though no formal designation has been announced.
- The appearance precedes an expected Workers’ Party congress in early 2026, where experts say any move to formalize her role could be signaled through party titles or staging.
- North Korean media have increasingly used honorifics for Ju Ae, including “beloved child” and “hyangdo,” and Seoul’s Unification Ministry confirmed this was her first publicly documented visit to the mausoleum.