Kim’s daughter watches the show of force
Kim Jong Un did not send a press release. He sent a dozen rockets. On Saturday, the North Korean leader, accompanied by his teenage daughter Kim Ju Ae, oversaw a military exercise using ultra-precise rocket launchers off the country’s east coast.
South Korean forces detected about 10 ballistic missiles. For Seoul and Washington, it is a provocation that violates UN resolutions. For Pyongyang, it is a direct message.
“If this weapon is used, the military infrastructure of the adversary side will never be resisted,” Kim said, according to the state agency KCNA.
He said the exercise will “unsettle” “enemies” within a 420 km radius. A clear reference to South Korea and the American troops deployed there.
A family patron and a possible heir
The scene has a known script. Every spring, the US and South Korea conduct their Freedom Shield exercises. And North Korea responds with weapons tests and bellicose rhetoric. This year is no different.
What does attract attention is the constant presence of Kim Ju Ae, about 13 years old. We have seen her in military parades and missile tests since the end of 2022. Her appearance alongside the olive green launchers fuels speculation: is she being groomed as a successor?
Experts point out that these North Korean rocket launchers blur the line between artillery and ballistic missile. They are remotely controlled and Pyongyang claims that some can carry nuclear warheads.
Tensions on the peninsula only escalate. As joint exercises continue through March 19, the North Korean response is a stark reminder: They have the capacity to strike, and they don’t hesitate to show it.
