North Korea test-fired a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday, state news agency KCNA reported on Saturday. The biggest surprise, however, was the presence of Kim’s daughter, whose existence had never been publicly confirmed. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects an intercontinental ballistic missile with his daughter. Photo: KCNA/Reuters KCNA did not name the girl, who is seen in photos in a white coat holding hands with her father as they look at the missile. “This is the first time we’ve seen Kim Jong-un’s daughter at a public event,” said Michael Madden, an expert on the North Korean leadership at the Stimson Center in Washington. “It’s very significant and represents a certain degree of comfort on Kim Jong Un’s part that he would take her out publicly in such a way.” Kim is believed to have three children, two girls and a boy, experts said. Some observers believed that one of these children was seen in footage of celebrations for a national holiday in September. In 2013, retired American basketball star Dennis Rodman said Kim had a “baby” daughter named Ju Ae. After a trip to North Korea that year, Rodman told the Guardian he had spent time with Kim and his family and was holding the baby. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with his wife Ri Sol Ju and their daughter on the day of an ICBM launch. Photo released on Nov. 19, 2022. Photo: KCNA/Reuters Ju Ae is estimated to be about 12-13 years old, which means in about four to five years she will be preparing to go to university or join the military, Madden said. “This would indicate that she will be educated and trained to go into leadership – she could be groomed to take the position of central leader, or she could become an adviser and a behind-the-scenes player like her aunt,” he said. North Korea has never announced who would succeed Kim should he become incapacitated, and with few details known about his young children, analysts had speculated that his sister and loyalists could form a regency until his successor become old enough to take over. The appearance of the leader’s daughter at this event could indicate a fourth-generation succession and that key North Korean elites should prepare for that eventuality, Madden added. “Her presence is for an elite audience,” he said. Kim’s wife Ri Sol Ju also made a rare appearance at Friday’s launch, according to KCNA. “Whenever Ri Sol Ju appears, there are strategic messages involved. It’s usually designed to reduce tensions, counter other aggressive messages (such as ballistic tests) or show the Kim family’s unity during times of domestic trouble,” said Ken Gause, an expert on North Korea’s leadership at CNA, a nonprofit US-based research organization.
