North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter was thrust back into the spotlight late last week at a military spectacle that analysts say was as much about succession planning and extracting concessions from Russia as it was about unveiling new missiles.
Ostensibly held to mark the 80th anniversary of the North Korean air force, the ceremony on Friday seemingly served two other purposes: pressing Russia for advanced military technology in return for Pyongyang’s help in the Ukraine war, and acting as a carefully staged rehearsal of possible dynastic succession.
North Korea’s Kim Jong-un (centre) is seen accompanied by his daughter Ju-ae at Friday’s air force anniversary event. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP
According to state media, Kim declared at the event that his military would soon be equipped with “new strategic assets” and assigned an “important” new duty, as the air force’s role in bolstering the North’s “nuclear war deterrent” grew.
Some analysts speculated that Kim was angling for advanced Russian fighter jets with his comments – though others doubted whether Russia, itself stretched by the conflict in Ukraine, could fulfil such a request.
“North Korea is eager to secure new fighter jets from Russia as part of compensation for its participation in the war against Ukraine,” Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, told This Week in Asia.
Moscow’s fingerprints?
On display during Friday’s ceremony at an airbase in Wonsan were new air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles never before showcased by North Korea.