Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/SOUTH KOREA: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un attended a lavish banquet at a military barracks on Tuesday, the latest indication that the girl who is believed to be his daughter is being groomed as his eventual successor in an authoritarian family regime that dates back decades.
The girl, believed to be Kim’s second child, Ju Ae, was joined by her father and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, in the visit to the barracks and subsequent banquet to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army (KPA), state media reported Wednesday.
According to a KCNA report, seeing Kim and “his respected” daughter was a “dream come true” for the military officials at the lavish banquet.
Pictures published by the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed the girl walking alongside Kim and her mother as they arrived at the banquet venue while military officers applauded. The girl was seated between centernd her mother in the centre of the lead table.
Kim Jong-Un’s daughter’s presence at such an event
The girl’s presence on such a momentous occasion sends clear signals in a country where the Kim family and the military are all-powerful, according to Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. He stated that by ostentatiously including his wife and daughter, Kim wants domestic and international observers to see his family dynasty and the North Korean military as inextricably linked.
Other observers said Kim had chosen his successor, confirming speculation that began with the girl’s appearance with her father at an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch in November. Yoo Sang-bum, a South Korean lawmaker and National Intelligence Service secretary, said after the launch that the girl was thought to be Ju Ae.
Images of the two walking hand in hand while inspecting the massive missile surfaced, with state media referring to her as Kim’s “beloved” daughter.
Later that month, North Korean state media published a story with pictures of Kim and his daughter, describing her as his “most beloved” child, according to Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at South Korea’s Sejong Institute. According to Cheong, there is no longer any doubt that Kim Ju Ae has been appointed as Kim Jong Un’s successor.
It is essential to pay attention to how this will affect North Korea’s domestic and foreign policies in the medium to long term, as well as how North Koreans will accept the succession of the fourth generation.
The Kim family had ruled North Korea since 1948 when Kim Il Sung took power in the aftermath of World War II. When he died in 1994, his son Kim Jong Il took over the country’s leadership. Kim Jong Un took power in December 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il.
There is no indication that Kim Jong Un will give up power soon. While the Kim regime has previously held such banquets for the military, images from Tuesday’s event showed a more elegant setting than previously seen.
According to Easley, Kim’s lavish banquet honoring the armed forces is intended to demonstrate that officers are widely esteemed in society and soldiers are well-backed by the government.
According to KCNA, Kim Jong Un delivered a speech at the banquet in which he praised and encouraged the North Korean military while avoiding mentioning the United States or South Korea.
The banquet on Tuesday came a day before what many experts believe will be North Korea’s largest military parade in history. Pyongyang is coming off a record year of missile testing, and analysts expect to see examples of those missiles, as well as others, during an event set to begin late Wednesday night.
