Seoul, South Korea
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un brought a child believed to be his daughter to a lavish banquet at a military barracks on Tuesday, the latest sign that the girl is a potential ally. is being groomed as his eventual successor in a decades-old authoritarian family regime.
The girl – believed to be Kim’s second child, Jo A, who is about 9 years old – and her father were accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol Jo, during the barracks tour and after. 75th birthday of the founder was included in the banquet. of the Korean People’s Army (KPA), state media reported on Wednesday.
A report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described Kim and “his respected” daughter at the banquet as a nightmare for military officials.
Photos published by the state-run Rodong Sunmun newspaper showed the girl walking with Kim and her mother as they entered the venue for a banquet while military officers applauded.
At the banquet, the girl sat in the middle of the lead table between Kim and her mother.
In a country where the Kim family and the military are all powerful, the presence of a girl at such an important event sends a clear signal, said Leif Eric Eisley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
“By apparently including his wife and daughter, Kim wants observers at home and abroad to see his family and the North Korean military as irrevocably linked,” he said.
Other observers said it was clear that Kim had chosen her successor, confirming speculation that the girl’s appearance with her father at an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch in November. It started from
South Korean lawmaker and National Intelligence Service Secretary Yoo Sang-bum said after the launch that the girl is believed to be Jo A.
Photographs of the massive missile inspection show the two walking hand-in-hand, with state media calling her Kim’s “beloved” daughter.
North Korean state media published a story later this month with photos of Kim and his daughter, describing him as one of his “most Cute” the child was told.
“With these in mind, there is no longer any doubt that Kim Jong-un’s successor has been appointed, and attention needs to be paid to how this affects North Korea’s domestic and foreign policies in the medium to long term. What the impact will be. The duration, and how the North Koreans will accept the fourth-generation succession,” Cheung said.
The Kim dynasty’s rule in North Korea stretches back to 1948, when Kim Il Sung came to power after World War II.
When he died in 1994, his son Kim Jong-il assumed control of the country. Kim Jong-un came to power in December 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il.
There is no indication that Kim Jong-un will take over anytime soon.
Although the Kim government has held previous such banquets for the military, photos from Tuesday’s event showed an even grander atmosphere than before.
“Kim’s grand banquet to commemorate the armed forces is intended to show that officers are highly respected in society and that soldiers are well supported by the state,” Easley said.
KCNA reported that Kim Jong-un gave a speech at the banquet in which the North Korean leader praised and encouraged the military without making any comments about the United States or South Korea.
Tuesday’s banquet came a day before what many experts expect to be North Korea’s largest military parade ever.
Pyongyang is coming off a record year of missile tests, and analysts are expecting to see examples of these missiles and more during an event starting late Wednesday night.
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