Her name is Ju-ae and she is probably only nine or ten years old. No one outside the inner circle of North Korea knows for sure. EARLY CROOKES: Last weekend, official North Korean media showed photos of Kim Jong-un’s daughter for the first time. Photo: KCNA / Reuters And she is probably Kim Jong-un’s second child, writes the AP news agency. Ju-ae was first shown to the public last weekend when she and her father were present during the launch of an international ballistic missile. She walked hand in hand with her father past the huge missile that was to be launched from a facility at the airport in the capital, Pyongyang. New appearance Today, Ju-ae was back with her origin at work. This time the two were to meet rocket engineers, technicians, officials and others who have helped develop the Hwasong-17 rocket. The state-run North Korean news agency KCNA calls the daughter Kim’s “most beloved child.” A series of photos of her and her father arm in arm were sent out. NOT BY CHANCE: Those who have been involved in developing the long-range missiles got to meet the North Korean leader and his daughter today. Photo: KCNA / Reuters Some of the images show the two in a row of uniformed soldiers in front of a large rocket. Others show Ju-ae talking to her father, while people cheer in the background. The mother Ri Sol-ju is not in any of the pictures. A possible successor? An expert on North Korea believes that what is now happening in the closed country is really quite special. – The image of Kim Ju-ae with her father as they are cheered on by technicians and scientists working on the rocket launch supports the idea that she is now being positioned to become a potential successor, says Ankit Panda at the Carnegie Foundation for International Peace. WONDERING: Experts on North Korea are now speculating on how the daughter’s behavior should be understood. Photo: AP She does not think it is a coincidence that both of her first appearances have been in connection with strategic nuclear weapons. These are North Korea’s main defenses. Experts on this country wonder if Kim has bypassed his firstborn and selected Ju-ae as his successor. If that happens, it will be a break with tradition in the patriarchal Kim family. Today’s Kim is the third generation in a family that has ruled North Korea for more than 70 years. The presentation of the daughter came as a surprise to most experts on this country. Neither Kim nor his father were presented as successors until they were adults. Betting on nuclear weapons Kim Jong-un says that his goal is to make North Korea the world’s strongest nuclear power, state media reports. THREATS: According to state media, Kim Jong-un promises to invest heavily in developing the country’s nuclear weapons. Photo: AP According to Reuters, he promises to retaliate against any threat from the United States with nuclear weapons. Kim claims that developing a nuclear force is necessary to protect the country’s dignity and sovereignty. A week and a half ago, the international reactions were strong when North Korea tested a long-range missile. The Hwasong-17 missile can in theory reach the US mainland. The test launch prompted the United States to ask the UN Security Council to issue a statement on the North Korean tests.
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North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un shows off his daughter – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
