North Korean leader Kim Jong Un displayed his latest assets to protect his reign: quick-strike missiles that can carry a nuclear warhead to the U.S. and a preteen daughter who ensures his family’s continuous rule over the dynasty forged in the Cold War.
Images provided by official state media on Thursday of a military parade in Pyongyang showed the regime’s biggest single display of intercontinental ballistic missiles during Kim’s decade in power. These included 11 of its Hwasong-17 rockets, which experts say is the world’s biggest road-worthy ICBM, and five cannisters for an apparent new solid-fuel ICBM.
The display of the weapons and his daughter, thought to be named Ju Ae and about 10 years old, sent a message to the world that North Korea won’t be bargaining away its nuclear arsenal any time soon. They also tell his people the high cost of the atomic weapons program to the economy is worth it because it protects the next generation of North Koreans.
