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. The Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was tested by North Korea on Friday, according to state news agency KCNA on Saturday. The biggest shock, however, was the presence of Kim’s daughter, whose existence had never before been made known to the general public.
The youngster, who can be seen in photos holding hands with her father and wearing a white puffy coat as they observe the enormous rocket, was unidentified by KCNA. North Korea leadership analyst Michael Madden of the Stimson Center in the US stated, ‘This is the first time that we have been able to confirm seeing Kim Jong Un’s daughter at a public gathering. The fact that Kim Jong Un would expose her in such a way is really important and shows some kind of comfort on his side’.
According to experts, Kim may be the mother of two girls and one boy. Some observers asserted that one of those kids was depicted in video of celebrations for a national holiday in September. Dennis Rodman, a retired American basketball player, claimed that Kim had a daughter named Ju Ae in 2013. After visiting North Korea that year, Rodman told The Guardian newspaper that he had met Kim and his family and held the infant. According to KCNA, Kim’s wife Ri Sol Ju also made a rare appearance at the launch on Friday.
‘Strategic messaging is used each time Ri Sol Ju makes an appearance. Typically meant to ease tensions, balance out other harsh messages (like tests), or demonstrate the stability of the Kim family during internal strife, s’aid Ken Gause, a North Korea leadership specialist with the non-profit research group CNA in the US. Additionally, Gause said that her presence is consistent with Kim’s tendency to ‘normalise’ regime politics and the forces that surround his role as supreme leader.
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