North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un introduced his daughter to the public for the first time on Saturday in an appearance that is believed to be an indication of his commitment to Pyongyang’s nuclear program.
Kim, according to the state-run KCNA, attended the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with his wife and “beloved daughter,” whose existence was finally confirmed at the moment.
Photos published by the state mouthpiece show the previously unidentified girl sporting a white coat and holding a stopwatch at the missile launch. Other images show her walking with Kim while holding his hand.
Prior to the release of the photos, it was speculated that Kim and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, had three children born in 2010, 2013 and 2017. Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who visited North Korea in 2013, told The Guardian that Kim had a baby daughter named Ju-ae, who is now believed to be aged 12 or 13, according to Al Jazeera.
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Rep. Tae Yong-ho, a North Korean defector who now serves as a lawmaker in Seoul, said the new photos depict Kim’s unwavering position on nuclear weapons. “By showing his daughter at a missile test site, Kim is showing his strong yet unchangeable determination of responding to nuclear threats with nuclear weapons,” Tae told The Korea Times.
A day after Kim revealed his daughter, state-run news outlet Rodong Sinmun published an article that called Kim’s missiles “monuments to be passed down to our descendants for generations to come,” as per NK News.
The story went on to claim that Kim is trying to prevent “the heartbreaking situation of our children ending up on the streets foraging for food after losing their mothers in enemy bombardments.” It also said Kim is “just as determined” to pursue nuclear armament as “the hostile forces are in their hatred [for us] and attempts steal the bright smiles off the faces of our children.”
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The missile viewed by the father-and-daughter duo was a Hwasong-17, CNN reported. It launched from Pyongyang International Airfield and traveled a distance of 999.2 kilometers (approximately 621 miles).
Featured Image via KCNA
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