SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made her first known visit to a sacred family mausoleum, a step that experts say bolstered her status as her father's potential heir.
The visit, which occurred on New Year’s Day on Thursday, even sparked speculation that the girl, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and aged about 13, could be named a high-level official at the upcoming ruling Workers’ Party congress.
Images carried by North Korea’s state media on Friday showed Kim Ju Ae standing in the front row with her parents and deeply bowing at Pyongyang's Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, where the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather are on display.
The palace is “a place that symbolizes legitimacy of the North Korean regime” and her visit there ahead of the Workers' Party congress is a politically orchestrated move, said Cheong Seong-Chang, deputy head of the private Sejong Institute in South Korea.
Kim Jong Un, 41, is the third generation of his family to rule North Korea since the country's foundation in 1948. He often marks key state anniversaries by visiting the Kumsusan palace and paying respect to his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung.
Cheong predicted that Kim Jong Un could give his daughter the first secretary post at the Workers' Party, the party's No. 2 job, at the congress. Other experts say she is too young to accept such a high-profile post and might be provided with lower-level jobs.
The congress, the first of its kind in five years, is meant to establish new priorities in state policies and reshuffle officials. North Korea hasn't said when it will hold it, but the National Intelligence Service, South Korea's spy agency, said it likely will be held either in January or February.
Since first appearing in state media in November 2022, Kim Ju Ae has accompanied her father at a slew of events including military parades and missile launches. In September, Kim Jong Un brought her on his trip to Beijing. During New Years' Day celebrations this week, she kissed her father on the cheek, showing their closeness. I'm
In January 2024, the NIS said it viewed Kim Ju Ae as her father's likely heir. Some outside experts disagree with that assessment, citing Kim Jong Un’s relatively young age and the extremely male-dominated nature of North Korea’s power hierarchy. The NIS told lawmakers in November that Kim appeared to have no major health problems.
Revealing the young Kim Ju Ae was a surprise to foreign experts because neither Kim Jong Un nor Kim Jong Il were mentioned in North Korean state media before they became adults. Some observers say Kim Jong Un likely aimed to shore up public support for his plan to extend the family's rule by repeatedly disclosing Kim Ju Ae in public events.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un, center right, his wife Ri Sol Ju, third left, and their daughter, center, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, visit Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Sensing the game might be getting away, Georgia coach Kirby Smart appeared to junk any semblance of conservatism in favor of straight-up gambling in the second half of a quarterfinal College Football Playoff clash against Mississippi at the Sugar Bowl.
A trio of fourth-down tries from Bulldogs territory did not pay off enough even though two of them produced drive-sustaining first downs. Ahead 21-12 at halftime on Thursday night, Georgia lost 39-34 after Ole Miss kicked a tiebreaking field goal with six seconds left.
Smart called for a fake punt on fourth-and-6 from the Bulldogs’ 30 after the Rebels scored a touchdown to pull within 21-19 in the third quarter.
That play worked, with wide receiver Landon Roldan taking a handoff and completing a pass to tight end Lawson Luckie for 17 yards, prolonging a drive that ended in a 37-yard field goal by Peyton Woodring.
“We had lost momentum at that point,” Smart said. “We were leading, but we felt like we could get momentum back with that play. We felt like it was there, and the kids did a great job executing it.”
Unfazed, Ole Miss scored a touchdown on its next possession and converted a 2-point play, going ahead 27-24. That prompted the Bulldogs to take another huge risk — and this time it failed.
Smart had the offense race on to the field on fourth-and-2 from the Georgia 33 early in the fourth quarter to catch the Rebels off guard, but quarterback Gunner Stockton was sacked for a 10-yard loss, handing the ball to Ole Miss at the Bulldogs’ 23.
“We screwed that up a little bit,” Smart said. “We had a misfire there. The ball was not supposed to be snapped in that situation, but that was on us and the coaches. The book said we needed to go for it, but we could have taken a delay (penalty).”
The Rebels needed only two plays to capitalize, going ahead 34-24 on a touchdown pass from Trinidad Chambliss to Harrison Wallace III with 9:02 left.
Smart was not done.
After the Bulldogs closed the gap to 34-31 and forced a punt, Georgia’s offense remained on the field on fourth-and-9 from the Georgia 48 with 3:13 left, even though Smart had all three timeouts remaining, along with a standard stoppage with 2 minutes left.
Stockton found Zachariah Branch for 16 yards, leading to a tying 24-yard field goal with 56 seconds left.
“No chance I’m punting there,” Smart said. “We’re not going to get another possession possibly. We had three timeouts to stop them if we didn’t get it.”
Turns out what they really needed was a go-ahead touchdown to avoid losing in the same round and at the same venue as last season against Notre Dame — both times as a higher-seeded favorite coming off a bye.
“I’m sick that we lost, and there’s things I would love to go back and do differently, Smart said. “But I’m just so proud of the way our guys competed when down ten. We just didn’t finish it.”
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Georgia head coach Kirby Smart embarces his players after a loss to Mississippi after the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football playoff quarterfinal game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) is sacked by Mississippi during the second half of the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football playoff quarterfinal game, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart speaks to quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) before the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football playoff quarterfinal game against Mississippi, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton Hinton)
