Kim Jong-un and his young daughter Kim Jung-ae took centre stage at a huge military parade, fueling speculation that she is being primed as a future leader of the hermit state.
Wednesday night’s parade in the capital, Pyongyang, featured the newest hardware in Kim‘s growing nuclear arsenal, including what experts said was possibly a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile he could test in the coming months.
That missile was part of around a dozen North Korea’s troops rolled out at the event. The parade was the fifth known public appearance by Kim’s daughter, who is believed to be around 10 years old.
On Tuesday, North Korea’s supreme leader brought his daughter to visit troops as he lauded the “irresistible might” of his nuclear-armed military.
State media have signalled a lofty role for North Korean leader’s daughter, who is often called “respected” and “beloved,” and a photo released on Wednesday showed her sitting in the seat of honor at a banquet, flanked by generals and her parents.
The parade marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of North Korea’s army and came after weeks of preparations involving huge numbers of troops and civilians mobilized to glorify Kim‘s rule and his relentless push to cement his country’s status as a nuclear power.
North Korean state TV video released Thursday showed Kim, wearing a black coat and fedora, arriving at the parade with his wife and daughter in a limousine. They were welcomed by thousands of troops and spectators packed in brightly illuminated Kim Il-sung Square, named after his grandfather, the nation’s founder.
After saluting his honor guards, Kim held hands with his daughter as they walked down a red carpet. The family entered a building where they sat on a leather couch, chatting and sharing snacks and drinks with top officials as they waited for the main march to start.
Thousands of goose-stepping soldiers later marched through the square, chanting “defend with your life, Paektu Bloodline,” referring to the Kim family’s lineage named after a volcano that North Koreans consider sacred.
A ceremonial cavalry unit trotted through the square riding white horses, another symbol associated with the Kim family’s dynastic rule. The broadcast described one of the animals as “most beloved” by Kim’s daughter.
