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| Kim Ju-ae, center, daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, front right, and Ri Sol-ju, front left, smile at a banquet celebrating the 75th founding anniversary of the country's armed forces, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday. Yonhap |
Kim Ju-ae seen visiting troops with parents to mark 75th anniversary of founding of its military
By Jung Min-ho
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's daughter made a public appearance again, Tuesday, this time with top military brass posing respectfully behind her at a banquet held the day before the 75th anniversary of the founding of its armed forces.
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency reported Wednesday that Ju-ae visited the barracks of its generals the previous day with her father and mother, Ri Sol-ju. In photos and videos released, the daughter walks beside Kim Jong-un ― holding his hand occasionally ― as he praises the officers for keeping the military strong.
Kim Ju-ae was described as Kim Jong-un's "respected" daughter ― the title of honor given to no other than North Korea's supreme leaders ― by state media. Ri was seen watching the father and daughter walk together from the side as if she was giving them the spotlight.
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| Kim Yo-jong (marked in red), sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, gives a standing ovation as the leader and his daughter, Ju-ae, walk into the venue to celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of the country's armed forces, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday. Yonhap |
All this should leave little doubt over who is the next in the line of succession, according to Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst on North Korea at the Sejong Institute, a local think tank.
"In a country where every photo and message in the media is choreographed and inspected, the images showing Kim Ju-ae in the middle apparently signal that she is not just one of his children," Cheong told The Korea Times. "The title referring to her has also changed from 'beloved' to 'precious' and 'most beloved' to now 'respected' daughter. Descriptions such as 'precious' and 'respected' are never used to refer to other officials."
In fact, a few days following the 2011 death of Kim Jong-il, the father of the current leader, Pyongyang's state media started using the title of "respected" to describe Kim Jong-un, who took power soon afterward.
The Kim family's visit to the banquet comes amid indications that North Korea is preparing to stage a massive military parade in the capital. Commercial satellite images suggest that it will involve huge numbers of troops and civilians and possibly new weapons.
"For the strengthening and development of our armed forces, let us all double our efforts and do more for the prosperous development of the socialist motherland," Kim Jong-un said in a speech during the banquet.
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| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, and his daughter, Ju-ae, walk together on a red carpet at a celebration of the 75th founding anniversary of the country's armed forces, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, as his wife Ri Sol-ju watches them from the side. Yonhap |
Not all experts agree that Kim's decision to bring his daughter to public events is a sign of his succession plan. But there is little disagreement that it shows North Korea's determination to continue the development of its nuclear weapons program into the future.
Military tensions could rise further in the coming months. The regime is doubling down on its nuclear ambitions.
At a major political event last month, Kim called for an "exponential increase" in the number of nuclear warheads and the development of more delivery means including more powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach the mainland of the United States.
With intelligence reports showing Pyongyang is technically ready for its first nuclear weapons test since 2017, Seoul and Washington are planning to expand the size and content of their combined military exercises this year, which raises concerns over the two sides' intensifying brinkmanship.
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