By Kim Tong-hyung -
The Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hailed the “irresistible might” of his nuclear-armed army as he visited the troops, accompanied by his daughter, to mark the 75th anniversary of its founding. as reported by state media on Wednesday.
The visit came amid indications that the country is preparing a grand military parade in the capital, Pyongyang, where it may display the latest equipment from a growing nuclear weapons program that worries its neighbors and the United States.
[Kim Jong Un teaches his daughter for the first time while launching a powerful missile capable of reaching the US]
Kim visited the Korean People's Army general officers' quarters with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, the Korean Central News Agency reported.
Later, at a banquet, he gave a pep talk to the troops in which he praised them for maintaining "the strongest army in the world" despite external difficulties.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, with his wife Ri Sol Ju, left, and their daughter pose with top military commanders for a photo at a banquet marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Army of Korea at an unspecified location in North Korea, Tuesday, February 7, 2023.Korean Central News Agency/AP
The visit came a day after the leader chaired a meeting with senior military officials in which he called for expanding combat maneuvers to bolster their readiness, in an attempt to intensify an already provocative arms race amid worsening tensions with his neighbors and Washington.
Photos in state media showed officers applauding during the banquet, which appeared to be held at Pyongyang's Yanggakdo Hotel.
Kim and his daughter, believed to be 9 or 10, were dressed similarly — in a black suit and white shirt — and held hands as they walked a red carpet with his wife, Ri Sol Ju. .
[North Korea launches 23 missiles in an escalation unprecedented since the war]
In her fourth known public appearance, Kim Ju Ae stood close to her father as he shook hands with senior officials and sat next to him at a table.
He had previously attended an intercontinental ballistic missile test flight in November and also accompanied his father to a meeting with military scientists and a ballistic missile inspection.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter attend a party marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army at an unspecified location in North Korea, Tuesday, February 7, 2023.Korean Central News Agency /AP
Analysts say Kim's decision to take his daughter to military-related public events is meant to remind the world that he has no intention of voluntarily giving up his nuclear arsenal, which he apparently sees as the strongest guarantee of survival and continued dominance. family dynastic.
North Korea has not confirmed that it plans to hold a military parade, which could take place later on Wednesday.
[Trump suggested using nukes against North Korea and blaming another country for the attack, according to a newspaper book]
Commercial satellite imagery has shown weeks of apparent preparations by large numbers of troops and civilians for an act normally meant to glorify the Kim government and its relentless effort to consolidate the nation's status as a nuclear power.
The North faces increasing economic isolation and food shortages, a reflection of the rising costs of its leader's nuclear ambitions.
In the past year, Pyongyang has broken its record for weapons tests, and the dozens of missiles it fired in 2022 included nuclear-capable systems designed to hit targets both in neighboring South Korea and on the US mainland.
