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Kim Ju-ae (center), daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a North Korean military banquet. Photo/KCNA via REUTERS
PYONGYANG – North Korean leader (North Korea) Kim Jong-un attended a military parade that showcased the largest number of intercontinental ballistic missiles. But the center of attention is the leader’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, who is 9 years old.
ABC News reported that a military parade was held at Kim Il-Sung Square, in central Pyongyang on Tuesday, with more than 30,000 troops participating.
Kim Ju-ae has been seen at several high-profile events related to North Korea’s military since November last year, fueling speculation that she is the future leader of Pyongyang.
“Kim Jong-un seems to be taking advantage of the international attention from the public every time he takes his daughter to a military shooting range,” Professor Park Won-gon of Ewha Womans University told ABC News, Thursday (9/2/2023).
Also read: Rare, Kim Jong-un attends a military banquet with his wife and daughter
“He also has a symbolic meaning as the next generation, because Kim Jong-un refers to the Hwasong-17 ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) as a source of well-being and happiness for the next generation,” he explained.
Kim Ju-ae even inspected an honor guard with his father. Pictures of the little girl were also broadcast live by North Korea’s state television during the broadcast of the military parade.
Photo/KCNA via REUTERS
For years, North Korean state media never mentioned Kim Jong-un’s children, although Seoul’s spy agency says he has three with his wife.
The only previous confirmation of their whereabouts came from former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who claims to have met Kim Ju-ae during a 2013 visit to North Korea.
The day before the military parade, Kim Ju-ae was also seen at a lavish banquet at the military barracks. Kim Jong-un, his wife Ri Sol-ju and the little girl visited the barracks to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army (KPA).
At the banquet, the girl sat in the middle of the main table between her father and mother.
Three months ago, during the launch of his most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, Kim Jong-un appeared, Kim Ju-ae, who was touted as his favorite daughter.
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