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North Korean leader's daughter fuels succession speculation with mausoleum visit

This picture taken on December 31, 2025 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on January 1, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his daughter Kim Ju Ae (C) and wife Ri Sol Ju (L) watching a New Year's celebration performance at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang. [AFP]

The North Korean leader's daughter Kim Ju Ae has made her first public visit to a mausoleum housing her grandfather and great-grandfather, state media images showed Friday, further solidifying her place as likely next in line to run the nuclear-armed dictatorship.

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

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