After flaunting missiles this week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was publicly seen showing a young girl believed to be his daughter a tour of his weaponry.
Identified only as Kim’s “beloved daughter,” the little girl was seen holding the North Korean dictator’s hand as they observed a missile launch in a father-daughter moment captured in photos released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. The images seemingly end years of conjecture about whether she even existed.
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“Kim Jong Un solemnly declared that if the enemies continue to pose threats to the DPRK, frequently introducing nuclear strike means, our Party and government will resolutely react to nukes with nuclear weapons and to total confrontation with all-out confrontation,” KCNA said, per CNN.
North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile Friday, marking the second known one this month, per state media. Workers on the United States Air Base in Japan had been told to find shelter amid the launch, which was detected by allied forces in the region.
The ICBM launch came after Pyongyang launched a short-range missile Thursday, according to officials. North Korea’s ICBM could have the potential to reach the U.S. and is seen as a warning sign to America and its regional allies. The missile tests came against the backdrop of the G-20 meetings and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
Kim married in 2009 and has three children, born in 2010, 2013, and 2017 respectively, according to South Korean media. The young girl is believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, divulged to the public by former NBC player Dennis Rodman, who claimed to have met her, the Washington Post reported.
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Much of the elder Kim’s private life has been shrouded in secrecy. For months, rumors had swirled that he had been dogged by a deteriorating health condition. He has ruled over North Korea for roughly 11 years since the death of his father in 2011 and is the third generation from his family to hold the perch.
Now that his daughter’s existence has been seemingly confirmed, she could be a successor to him. His sister, Kim Yo Jong, who appears to have a prominent role in North Korean power-brokering, has also been speculated as a potential successor.