New public appearance by North Korean leader's daughter fuels succession speculation

The North Korean leader's teenage daughter Kim Ju Ae has made her first visit to a mausoleum housing her grandfather and great-grandfather, state media images showed Friday, adding support to the growing belief that she could become her father's possible successor.

The visit, which occurred on New Year’s Day on Thursday, even sparked speculation that the girl, reportedly aged about 13, could be named a high-level official at the upcoming ruling Workers’ Party congress.

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The Kim family has ruled North Korea for decades, and a cult of personality surrounding their so-called "Paektu bloodline" dominates daily life in the isolated country.

Current leader Kim Jong-un is the third in line to rule in what has become the world's only de facto communist monarchy, following father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Il-sung.

The two men – dubbed "eternal leaders" in state propaganda – are housed in the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a vast mausoleum in downtown Pyongyang.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Jong Un had visited the palace, accompanied by top officials.

And images released by the agency showed daughter Ju Ae in tow.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said last year she was now understood to be the next in line to rule North Korea after she accompanied her father on a high-profile visit to Beijing.

Read moreWho is Kim Ju Ae? North Korean leader's daughter makes global debut on China trip

Some outside experts disagree with that assessment, citing Kim Jong-un’s relatively young age and the extremely male-dominated nature of North Korea’s power hierarchy. The NIS told lawmakers in November that Kim appeared to have no major health problems.

Ju Ae was publicly introduced to the world in 2022, when she accompanied her father to an intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

North Korean state media have since referred to her as "the beloved child", and a "great person of guidance" – "hyangdo" in Korean – a term typically reserved for top leaders and their successors.

Neither Kim Jong-un nor Kim Jong-il were mentioned in North Korean state media before they reached adulthood. 

Before 2022, the only confirmation of her existence had come from former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who made a visit to the North in 2013.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)