North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery in Pyongyang, accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju Ae and his wife Ri Sol Ju. This visit took place on Sunday, marking the 73rd anniversary of the Korean War armistice, according to state media KCNA.
Kim paid respects at various war memorials, met with veterans, and laid flowers on the graves of first-generation guerrilla fighters. He reiterated Pyongyang’s claims of a ‘great victory’ in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. Notably, the war ended with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.
Photographs and video from North Korean state media displayed Ju Ae walking alongside her father during the visits. She was centrally positioned in ceremonial formations and greeted elderly veterans, indicating her rising public profile. South Korea’s Unification Ministry confirmed this was the first time Ju Ae participated in the armistice commemorations or visited either the Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery or the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery.
The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) believes that Kim Ju Ae is being groomed as her father’s successor. This conclusion is based on ‘credible intelligence,’ as reported in briefings to lawmakers this year. Instances in state media showing Ju Ae accompanying Kim Jong Un, including images from March of her driving a new tank, and earlier photos of her using firearms, support this assessment.
Additionally, Kim visited the cemetery for Chinese volunteer soldiers, paying respects at the grave of Mao Anying, the son of Mao Zedong. This visit signifies improving relations with Beijing, as highlighted by KCNA.