Kim Jong – I’m on you

North Korean leader Kim Jong UnJong 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.

Footage from the official KCNA news agency showed Ju Ae standing between her parents in the main hall of the mausoleum, a moment that analysts said fueled speculation about her future role in the regime.

Ju Ae was featured more often in state media over the past three years, fueling speculation among South Korean analysts and intelligence services that she could be positioned as a potential successor to Kim Jong Un.

The appearance follows a long-standing tradition in North Korea, where Kim visits the mausoleum on key dates and anniversaries to bolster the legitimacy of the nuclear-armed country’s dynastic legacy.

Trump and Kim Jong Un should make a “bold decision” to meet during his Asia trip, South Korean official says.

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 January 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 when accompanying her father on a trip. trip to Beijing in September, her first visit to China in years, a move that analysts say could signal her role as North Korea’s heir-in-waiting.

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

NORTH KOREA FIRES BALLISTIC MISSILES DAYS AFTER HEGSETH’S VISIT TO SOUTH KOREA

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 trip to Pyongyang in 2013 that he had “held baby Ju Ae”, while calling Kim Jong Un a “good father”.

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

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

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

“She is being molded into a role, rather than being supported to discover who she is as an individual and this pressure could have an impact. huge impact on his mental health” she said.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey and Reuters contributed to this report.