Kim Jong Un is putting the spotlight on his daughter again, bringing her to meet his top generals and take pictures with them
- On Tuesday, Kim Jong Un's daughter made a rare appearance at a military banquet.
- She met North Korea's top generals and officers at the dinner and took photos with them.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has put his daughter in the public spotlight again, this time at a banquet with top generals and army officers.
On Tuesday, a beaming Kim Ju Ae, believed to be 10 years old, was photographed holding her father's hand as they led a procession of officials and military brass through a banquet hall. Her mother, Kim's wife Ri Sol Ju, was present as well.
Photos from the Korean Central News Agency — North Korea's state-controlled media outlet — show the girl, Kim Jong Un, and his wife surrounded by laughing, medal-adorned generals.
In another photo, two high-ranking military officers are seen stooping to flank Kim Ju Ae while posing for a picture.
In several photos, it is Kim's daughter, not the leader himself, who is the center of attention.
Other footage from the event shows Kim Ju Ae and her parents being greeted by rows of uniformed officers.
Kim Jong Un is thought to have three children. He has thus far only revealed Kim Ju Ae to the public. She was first seen with her father at the testing of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile in November.
Her public debut gave rise to speculation that Kim could be preparing her to be his successor, though a woman has never ruled North Korea. She is believed to have an older brother, born in 2010, and a younger sibling, whose gender is unknown.
The Tuesday banquet was held to commemorate the 75th founding anniversary of North Korea's army, per the Korean Central News Agency.
In his speech on Tuesday, Kim praised his nuclear-capable army for "demonstrating its inexhaustible strength" amid "harsh circumstances," per the KCNA.
He described North Korea's forces as the "strongest army in the world," but made no mention of a rumored military parade in Pyongyang. International observers believe that on Wednesday, Kim's regime will stage its first military parade in almost a year, giving it a chance to display its latest weapons amid North Korea's accelerated nuclear arms testing in 2022.
Kim's banquet was held after he presided over a meeting with North Korea's top military brass, where he called for an expansion of combat exercises to prepare the country for war. Before this series of high-profile appearances, Kim had disappeared from public view for 36 days, marking his longest absence from public view since 2014.
Meanwhile, tensions are rising between North Korea, its neighbors, and the US, because of its fast-growing nuclear weapons program under Kim's regime.