Will she succeed the "Princess" of Pyongyang, Kim Jong Un?

The North Korean leader appeared alongside his daughter for the first time in official photographs published on Saturday, reaffirming his vision of the continuity of the Kim dynasty in ruling the country, according to experts.

It is a very rare occurrence.

The official Korean Central News Agency did not mention Kim Jong Un's children at all, nor did the North Korean regime confirm that he had a family.

But on Saturday, for the first time, KCNA reported that Kim traveled the day before to supervise the latest ICBM launch, accompanied by his "dear wife and daughter," without giving details about her age.

In the pictures, the North Korean leader appears smiling and holding the hand of a girl wearing a white jacket and red shoes, as they walk in front of a giant black and white missile.

Kim Jong Un, the grandson of North Korea's founding father Kim Il Sung, and the representative of the third generation ruling the country, married Ri Sol Ju in 2009, according to South Korean intelligence.

Ri Sol Ju gave birth to their first child the following year, and the second and third in 2013 and 2017, the same source added, without specifying their gender.

One of the only confirmations of the leader's children comes from NBA star Dennis Rodman's visit to North Korea in 2013, when he said he met Kim's daughter, Ju Ae.

Rodman said at the time that the North Korean leader is a "good father".

It is likely that the young girl appearing in the photos is the same as Jo Ae, according to what told AFP, Cheong Seong-Hang, an expert in North Korean affairs at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, who said that she is like a North Korean "princess".

Now that its existence has been revealed, it is likely that it is authorized to participate in the affairs of the state, the expert added.

Her public standing by her father could indicate that she was chosen as his successor.

Xiong explained that Kim Jong-un's father, Kim Jong-il, chose him as his successor from among his children because he was very similar to him in personality and temperament.

He pointed out that "Kim may want to do the same with this particular girl. Perhaps she has the qualities that Kim believes are his qualities," adding that if she continues to accompany her father in important events, this is likely to be a sign that he considers her his successor.

Therefore, introducing Kim's daughter to the public at this very moment is no mere coincidence.

It is a message to the world that the North Korean regime is not ready to go away, analyst Sue Kim told AFP.

"In a way, this is a symbolic image of Kim passing the scepter of power to the next generation," which sends "a message to the international community calling on it to accept and prepare for the fourth version of intimidation and hostility" from Pyongyang, she said.

She added that the pictures also indicate "a degree of closeness and comfort between Kim and his daughter," noting that this may indicate that she is ready to take over after her father.

For his part, Chan-Il Ahn, head of the International Institute for North Korea Studies, said that these photos also indicate that the North Korean leader wants to show himself as a "normal" leader, adding that he presents himself as a "loving father" while firing missiles. intercontinental ballistic.

As John Delory, a professor at Yonsei University, said, "He is no longer a man of war or a narcissistic missile man. He is a good father, who protects his family as he protects the nation."

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