Cult of the figure of members of the so-called “Paektu bloodline” dominates daily life in the isolated and hermetic country
The daughter of the North Korean leader made her first public visit to the mausoleum where the remains of her grandfather and great-grandfather are kept, state media reported, reinforcing Kim Ju Ae’s position as her father’s successor. The Kim family has ruled North Korea with an iron fist for decades. The cult of the members of the so-called “Paektu bloodline” dominates daily life in the isolated and hermetic country.
Kim Jong Un is third in the chain of succession of what is considered the only communist monarchy in the world, after his father, Kim Jong Il, and his grandfather, Kim Il Sung. The two men, called “eternal leaders” by state propaganda, are buried in the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a large mausoleum in central Pyongyang.
North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported that Kim visited the palace, escorted by high-ranking officials. The images show that his daughter, Ju Ae, accompanied him during the visit.
South Korea’s spy agency said last year that she is first in line to rule North Korea, after accompanying her father on an official visit to China. Ju Ae was introduced to the world in 2022, when she accompanied Kim in launching an intercontinental ballistic missile. Since then, the North Korean state press has referred to the young woman as “the beloved daughter” and “hyangdo” in Korean, a term generally reserved for top leaders and their successors.
*With information from AFP
