It’s Josh Smith
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unveiled his daughter to the world for the first time on Saturday in dramatic footage showing the pair holding hands as they toured the launch of the world’s largest nuclear weapon the day before.
North Korea test-fired a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday, state news agency KCNA reported on Saturday.
The biggest surprise, however, was the presence of Kim’s daughter, whose existence has never been publicly confirmed.
KCNA did not name the girl, who is seen in photos wearing a gray white shirt holding hands with her father while looking at the large weapon.
“This is the first time to see Kim Jong Un’s daughter at a public event,” said Michael Madden, a North Korean leadership expert at the US-based Stimson Center. “It’s very important and it represents another consolation for Kim Jong Un to take him out of the public like this.”
Kim is believed to have three children, two girls and one boy, experts said. Some observers believe that one of the children was seen during the national holiday celebrations in September.
In 2013 retired American basketball player Dennis Rodman said Kim had a daughter named Ju Ae. When he went to North Korea that year, Rodman told The Guardian that he stayed with Kim and his family, holding the baby.
Ju Ae is said to be about 12-13 years old, which means that in about four to five years he will be preparing to go to university, or join the military, Madden said.
“This shows that he has been trained and trained to be a leader – it could be preparing him to take on the role of a great leader or he could be a mentor and a back-up player like his aunt,” he said.
North Korea has yet to announce who will succeed Kim if he is unable to, and with little known about his younger children, experts believe his sister is loyal and could hold the regency until a successor grows up.
The appearance of the leader’s daughter at the ceremony could signal a fourth-generation succession and that North Korean officials should be preparing for the future, Madden added.
“Its availability is for the elite,” he said.
Kim’s wife, Ri Sol Ju, also made a rare appearance at Friday’s launch, according to KCNA.
“Every time Ri Sol Ju appears, there are subtle messages involved. They are often designed to end conflict, counter other aggressive messages (such as trials), or show the unity of the Kim family during an internal crisis,” said Ken Gause, a leadership expert. of North Korea. and CNA, a non-profit research organization based in the US.
His presence is also in line with Kim’s tendency to “change” politics in the state and what is happening in his role as supreme leader, Gause added.
