Kim Jong Un's daughter appears again, fueling succession speculation - The Washington Post

In 1 image, the father-daughter brace tin beryllium seen posing alongside uniformed soldiers earlier a motortruck loaded with a ample missile, which authorities media said is the Hwasong-17 ICBM. In others, the young kid tin beryllium seen holding her father’s limb and clapping her hands portion smiling.

The photos are the 2nd acceptable of specified images to look successful conscionable implicit a week. The girl’s archetypal quality successful nationalist took spot connected Nov. 18, when she was pictured with her father astatine a rocket trial motorboat tract successful Pyongyang, aft years of secrecy surrounding her existence.

While the kid was not named, observers judge she is called Kim Ju Ae. Her sanction was archetypal revealed successful 2013 by retired NBA prima Dennis Rodman, who said aft visiting North Korea that helium had met the leader’s “baby” daughter.

The Associated Press, citing a South Korean lawmaker briefed connected the assessment, reported that Seoul’s National Intelligence Service concluded that past week’s photos showed Ju Ae, the North Korean leader’s 2nd child, and that she was astir 10 years old.

North Korean authorities media said Sunday that Kim and his girl had attended an lawsuit “of historical significance” with subject scientists and mill workers credited with processing the Hwasong-17, the regime’s most almighty ICBM to date. The limb is being designed to transportation aggregate atomic warheads and has the capableness of reaching the East Coast of the United States.

“When General Secretary Kim Jong Un appeared astatine the photograph league venue unneurotic with his beloved daughter, each the participants broke into stormy cheers of ‘Hurrah!’” the Korean Central News Agency reported, successful a quality merchandise that accompanied photographs.

Kim has been successful powerfulness for 11 years and is the 3rd procreation of his household to regularisation the secretive federation since it was founded by his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, successful 1948.

Few confirmed details beryllium astir Kim Jong Un’s backstage life. South Korean quality officials accidental Kim has 2 different children. The older, a boy, was calved astir 2010. Even little is known astir the different child, who was calved astir 2017.

His young daughter’s nationalist quality is simply a interruption from the precedent established by his begetter and grandfather, whose children had not antecedently made specified appearances until aft after they were designated as successors, noted Rachel Minyoung Lee, an adept successful North Korean propaganda.

Although the photographs person added to speculation implicit a imaginable successor to 38-year-old Kim, who was rumored to beryllium successful “grave” health successful 2020, Lee suggests Kim’s determination to uncover his girl could besides beryllium portion of a propaganda effort to marque the person look much relatable, exposing a much human, family-oriented side.

It is not the archetypal clip the North Korean person has acceptable speech immoderate of the conventions established by his predecessors. Earlier this twelvemonth Kim spoke with comparative candor successful a documentary astir the important challenges facing North Korea, including a nutrient crisis, striking a forthcoming code ne'er expressed by either his begetter oregon grandfather.

Kim has besides appeared successful nationalist with adjacent household members much often than either of his predecessors. Unlike his begetter — who did not uncover his woman and lone appeared successful nationalist with his sister aboriginal successful beingness — Kim Jong Un’s wife, Ri Sol Ju, was shown successful authorities media six months aft the person ascended to power, and his sister, Kim Yo Jong, a apical aide, has besides played a important relation successful nationalist life.

Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Victoria Bisset contributed to this report.