World gets rare glimpse of Kim Jong-un's daughter during ballistic missile test

By Gargi Chaudhry | First Published Nov 19, 2022, 11:12 AM IST

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un revealed his daughter to the world for the first time on Saturday in striking photos showing the pair hand-in-hand inspecting the launch of the nuclear-armed country's largest ballistic missile the day before.

Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of North Korea, was reportedly spotted holding his daughter's hands during her first public appearance. Kim Jong Un is known for keeping his personal affairs quiet.

Pictures from the state agency and social media show his daughter clutching Kim's hand while they examine military equipment, standing close to the leader in a white puffer jacket. The girl, who seemed to be with Kim when he observed a missile test fire on Friday, was not identified by the official media, according to KCNA.

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In its second significant weapons test this month, North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Pyongyang International Airfield that touched down close to Japanese waters on Friday. This test indicated a potential capability to carry out nuclear attacks on the entire US mainland. The missile travelled 999.2 kilometres (621 miles).

Kim Jong Un is a man of many secrets. However, Dennis Rodman, a former basketball player, claimed that Kim had a "baby" named "Ju Ae" in 2013, according to the British newspaper The Guardian. He claimed to have spoken to Kim's wife, Ri Sol Ju, and to have spent time with the family, calling Kim "a good parent."

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Given the lack of information regarding Kim's young children and the fact that North Korea has never said who would succeed him in the case of his incapacitation, observers have speculated that his sister and supporters would act as a regency until a successor is old enough to ascend the throne. Reports suggest that the leader's daughter attending this gathering could indicate that the core North Korean elites need to prepare for fourth generation hereditary succession.

Photo credit: Joseph Dempsey | Twitter

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