Hong Kong
CNN
—
At two high-profile military events this week, Kim Jong Un has his little daughter by his side and has told the world two things.
The girl, believed to be Kim Jong-un’s second child, was about 9 years old and joined the North Korean leader and his wife for a glamorous dinner at a military barracks in Pyongyang on Tuesday night.
The next day, she watched as at least 11 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) paraded through Kim Il Sung Square in the North Korean capital.
“By flaunting his wife and daughter, Kim told observers at home and abroad that his family’s dynasty and the North Korean military were irreversibly linked,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. I would like you to see that I am here.
The Kim family’s rule in North Korea dates back to 1948, when Kim Il Sung came to power in the aftermath of World War II.
When Kim Il-sung died in 1994, his son Kim Jong-il assumed power, and when Kim Jong-il died in December 2011, his son Kim Jong-un assumed power.
Western observers believe that Kim Jong-un had three children and Ju-ae was his middle child, but this cannot be confirmed by anyone outside of North Korea.
North Korean media reports on military events this week described Joo Ae as Kim’s ‘respected’ and ‘beloved’ child.
US basketball star Dennis Rodman revealed that Kim had a baby named Joo Ae when he visited Pyongyang in 2013, after which he told The Guardian, “I was holding baby Joo Ae, (Kim’s wife ),” he said.
The age of the baby Rodman is holding seems to match the age of the girls at this week’s event.
Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at South Korea’s Sejong Institute, said there was a historical precedent for Kim identifying a successor very early on.
“Kim Jong-il is known to have told his aides that Kim Jong-un would be his successor while singing the song ‘Footsteps’ in honor of Kim Jong-un on his eighth birthday. ‘ said Chong. However, he added that the outside world was unaware of this at the time.
“There have long been rumors and speculations that Kim Jong-il’s eldest son, Kim Jong-nam, or his second son, Kim Jong-chol, would be his successor,” Jeong said.
Last November, state media released a photo of Chue and Kim inspecting a North Korean ballistic missile before it was test-launched, sparking speculation that Jue would be Kim’s successor.
South Korean lawmaker and National Intelligence Service Director Yoo Sang-beom said after the launch that the girl was thought to be Joo-ae.
North Korea’s state media later that month published an article with a photo of Kim Jong-un and his daughter, describing her as his “most loved” child, Chung said.
North Korean media photos also showed the girl visiting a missile factory with her father near the end of 2022.
Cheong said he was confident of the girl’s appearance at recent events and how she was being mentioned in state-run media shows ready to follow in her father’s footsteps.
The state-run Rodong Sinmun refers to the girl in front of Kim’s wife, using the adjectives “beloved” and “respected” to convey her special status, he said.
“The beginning of this personality cult for Kim Joo-ae suggests that she is, in effect, the designated successor, even though she has not yet been given official successor status.
He added that if the girl were to follow in her father’s footsteps, she would need military support.
Jeong said that attending military events from an early age helps build trust with the military over time.
Other observers are not convinced.
Her recent appearance may just be a way to bring the world’s attention back to Pyongyang’s military after viewer fatigue sets in. It has been a year of record missile tests, said Jeong In-beom, a retired South Korean general.
“I think North Korea either stumbled upon or understood that this is one way to gain international attention. And with all the interest they’ve accumulated, they’re enjoying it. ” he said.
“Throughout their 70-year history, their successor has always been a mystery to us. Why would they change their mode of operation now? I would say no,” Chong said.
There is still much debate about Jue, but there is no doubt that her father wanted to have enough military power to keep the family in power.
The display of at least 11 Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) on Wednesday night is a response to Kim Jong-un’s demands that the North Korean military seek an “exponential increase” in his country’s nuclear arsenal by the end of 2022. It indicates that the Claims are threats from South Korea and the United States.
Ankit Panda, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said on social media that each of these missiles, equipped with multiple nuclear warheads, would be enough to overwhelm U.S. ballistic missile defenses. He said it could be a lot.
Following the Mars-17 in Wednesday night’s parade was an example of what analysts believe may be a solid-fuel ICBM, a technological advance from the liquid-fueled Mars-17.
Liquid fuel missiles take a long time to prepare for launch. Solid-fuel missiles are ready to launch at any moment.
“If this is true, it gives (North Korea) more mobility, flexibility, lethality, etc.,” said Jeong, a former South Korean general.
A solid-fuel missile mounted on a mobile launcher would give the Kim regime “the ability to strike an enemy with little advance warning,” Chung said. “It’s a really scary scenario.”