The leader of the DPRK, together with his daughter Kim Ju Ae, observed the trials of the new destroyer "Kang Gon" today.
Photo: KCNA
«Comrade Kim Jong Un boarded the destroyer Kang Gon and familiarized himself with the status of the control center and other various locations and combat posts, the plan for sea trials, and the phased plans for the ship's armament tests. In Kim Jong Un's presence, the ship underwent sea trials to evaluate various operational capabilities,» stated the Korean Central News Agency.
Kim Jong Un asked the executives, scientists, and technical staff of the ship research and weapon system industry «to successfully advance the testing process to evaluate operational readiness with a sense of pride in their mission and high responsibility, and to transfer the destroyers "Chw'e Hyon" and "Kang Gon" to the Navy as soon as possible, warmly inspiring them,» KCNA wrote.
Photo: KCNA
The delegation on the destroyer was representative: the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the First Deputy Head of the WPK Central Committee Department, the Commander of the Navy, Advisor to the Ministry of Defence Pak Jong Chon, the Deputy Minister of Defence and Head of the General Bureau of Armaments, the Head of the General Bureau of Rocket Industry, the President of the Academy of National Defence, the Head of the Ministry of Defence Armaments Expertise Department, the Navy Command, and responsible workers of the shipbuilding industry.
Photo: KCNA
For the past two years, Kim Jong Un has regularly appeared at important events with Kim Ju Ae, and she is being discussed as a likely successor.
Kim Ju Ae is believed to have been born in late 2012 — early 2013, making her potentially 13 years old. Throughout 2012, her mother Ri Sol Ju did not appear in public and was not mentioned in North Korean media, which was later linked to her pregnancy.
Kim Ju Ae's first public appearance was in November 2022, at the age of 10, when she accompanied her father during the launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile.
State media initially called her Kim Jong Un's "beloved daughter," but later began to describe her as "respected daughter." Afterwards, the girl regularly began to accompany her father at various important events.
For example, in March this year, she and her father visited a military enterprise and practiced shooting, then tested a tank and even attended a parade.
And on February 16, she attended the opening of a street in Pyongyang in honor of North Korean soldiers who died in the Kursk region.
The National Intelligence Service of South Korea previously noted that it continues to consider various options for Pyongyang's succession plans (the country has been ruled by the third generation of Kims since 1950). It is entirely possible that Kim Jong Un will want to continue this tradition.
Kim has an elder son, Jong Ju, born in 2010, but little is known about him. He is not seen in photos from official events; perhaps, like his father in his youth, he is studying in Western Europe.
Kim Jong Un has governed the DPRK since 2011; he is 44 years old.
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