Overview
- North Korea’s KCNA said Kim Jong Un visited Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Sun Palace on January 1 with party officials.
- State-released images show his daughter, identified as Ju-e, positioned in the middle, flanked by Kim and his wife Ri Sol-ju, with senior cadres arrayed behind.
- This is the first photographic confirmation of her presence at the palace, which houses the remains of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il and serves as a core symbol of regime legitimacy.
- South Korean experts, including Sejong Institute deputy director Jung Seong-jang, interpret the staging as a public signal of succession intentions, while noting no formal title or role has been announced.
- Her prominence follows a December 31 New Year performance where photos also centered her, reinforcing a visibility pattern since her first public appearance in 2022 that analysts use to gauge internal hierarchy.