Kim Jong Un in the foreground with wife Ri Sol Ju and daughter behind | Image: KCTV (Nov. 19, 2022)
North Korea carried out the first successful test of its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday. But in a world that has grown accustomed to living with a nuclear-armed DPRK, the massive missile arguably attracted less attention than an unusual presence at the launch site: a small girl in a white coat.
Official media commentary helpfully identified the girl, who looked some 10 or 11 years old, as the North Korean leader’s daughter. It was the first time state media had revealed one of Kim Jong Un’s children.
North Korea carried out the first successful test of its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday. But in a world that has grown accustomed to living with a nuclear-armed DPRK, the massive missile arguably attracted less attention than an unusual presence at the launch site: a small girl in a white coat.
Official media commentary helpfully identified the girl, who looked some 10 or 11 years old, as the North Korean leader’s daughter. It was the first time state media had revealed one of Kim Jong Un’s children.
Andrei Lankov is a Director at NK News and writes exclusively for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. A graduate of Leningrad State University, he attended Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung University from 1984-5 - an experience you can read about here. In addition to his writing, he is also a Professor at Kookmin University.