Khaberni - Kim Jo Ai, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has sparked a new wave of speculation about the future leadership of North Korea.
This comes after her first appearance on an official visit to a mausoleum that houses the remains of her grandfather Kim Il Sung and her father’s father, Kim Jong Il, according to photos published by the official Korean Central News Agency.
The photos showed Kim Jo Ai accompanying her father during a visit to the Sun Palace in Kumsusan, the massive mausoleum located in the center of Pyongyang, where the two leaders who are officially referred to as "the eternal leaders" lie. The agency mentioned that Kim Jong Un made the visit accompanied by senior officials, while his daughter's attendance drew attention as a symbolic step with political implications.
North Korea has been ruled by the Kim dynasty since 1948, also known as the "Paektu Lineage," named after the sacred mountain that the official narrative portrays as the cradle of the Korean people. Kim Jong Un is the third ruler from this dynasty after his father Kim Jong Il and his grandfather Kim Il Sung.
Analysts view the repeated public appearances of Kim Jo Ai at official events as reinforcing the hypothesis that she is being groomed to succeed her father in leading the nuclear-armed state. Cheong Seong Chang, a researcher at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, expects that she will be "officially confirmed soon as a potential successor at both the domestic and international levels." He considered her position at the front row during the visit, a spot typically reserved for the leader himself, as sending a clear political message.
Cheong, who is the author of a book about Kim's leadership, added that this step could be interpreted as a "symbolic notification to the founding leaders that she is being presented as the next heir."
Kim Jo Ai first appeared publicly in 2022 when she accompanied her father to oversee the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Since then, official media have bestowed upon her notable titles such as "the beloved child" and "Hyangdo," a Korean term traditionally used to describe senior leaders and their successors.
Prior to this public appearance, the only confirmation of her existence had come in 2013 from the former American basketball star Dennis Rodman, who mentioned meeting her during a visit to North Korea.
In related news, analysts have not ruled out the possibility of Kim Jo Ai being elected as the first General Secretary of the Central Committee, the second most powerful position in the ruling Workers' Party, during an upcoming conference expected in the next few weeks.
Footage broadcasted by official television on Thursday showed Jo Ai with her parents during the New Year celebrations in Pyongyang. In a rare scene, she was seen holding her father’s face and kissing him on the cheek in a public display of affection that sparked wide interest and topped media headlines in South Korea.
