Related video: Kim Jong Un introduces his daughter to the public for the first time 0:49
(CNN) --
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took a girl believed to be his daughter to a lavish banquet at a military barracks on Tuesday, the latest sign the girl is possibly being groomed as his eventual successor in a authoritarian family of a regime that goes back decades.
The girl—believed to be Kim's second daughter, Ju Ae, about 9 years old—and her father joined his wife, Ri Sol Ju, for a visit to the barracks and a subsequent banquet marking the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean People's Army (KPA), state media reported on Wednesday.
Kim Jong Un is pictured with a girl believed to be his daughter at a military banquet on Tuesday.
(Credit: Rodong Sinmun)
A report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described seeing Kim and "his respected" daughter as a dream come true for the military officers at the banquet.
Pictures published by the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed the girl walking alongside Kim and her mother as they entered the banquet venue as military officials applauded.
At the banquet, the girl was seated in the center of the head table between Kim and her mother.
advertising
In a country where the Kim family and the military are all-powerful, the girl's presence at such an important event sends clear signals, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
"By ostentatiously including his wife and daughter, Kim wants observers at home and abroad to see that his family dynasty and the North Korean military are irrevocably linked," he said.
The daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is seen in her first public appearance
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the military barracks with his daughter and wife to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army (KPA), state media reported. (Credit: Rodong Sinmun)
Other observers said it was clear that Kim chose her successor, confirming speculation that began with the girl's appearance in November at an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test-firing with her father.
South Korean lawmaker and National Intelligence Service secretary Yoo Sang-bum said after that release that the girl was thought to be Ju Ae.
Footage showed the two walking hand in hand as they inspected the massive missile, while state media called her Kim's "beloved" daughter.
North Korean state media published a story later that month with photos of Kim and her daughter, describing her as their "dearest" daughter, said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea.
Kim Jong Un 'suffered deeply from high fever' during North Korea's Covid-19 outbreak, sister claims
Military officers applaud North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife and daughter during their visit to a military barracks on February 7, 2023 in a photo released by state media. (Credit: Rodong Sinmun)
"Considering this, there is no longer any doubt that Kim Ju Ae has been designated as Kim Jong Un's successor, and it is necessary to pay attention to how this will affect North Korea's domestic and foreign policy, medium and long term, and how North Koreans will accept the succession of the fourth generation," Cheong said.
the kim dynasty
The rule of the Kim family in North Korea dates back to 1948, when Kim Il Sung came to power after World War II.
When he died in 1994, his son Kim Jong Il took control of the country.
Kim Jong Un came to power in December 2011 after the death of Kim Jong Il, his father.
There are no indications that Kim Jong Un will step down any time soon.
While the Kim regime has held banquets of this kind for the military in the past, footage from the event on Tuesday showed a more ostentatious atmosphere than ever before.
"Kim's lavish banquet commemorating the armed forces is meant to show that officers are highly respected in society and soldiers are supported by the state," Easley said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un celebrates the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army with a girl believed to be his daughter Ju Ae and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, on February 7, 2023.
KCNA reported that Kim Jong Un gave a speech at the banquet in which the North Korean leader praised and encouraged the military without commenting on the United States or South Korea.
Tuesday's banquet took place a day before what many experts expect to be the largest military parade in North Korean history.
Pyongyang is coming off a record year of missile tests, and analysts expect to see examples of those missiles and more during an event expected to begin Wednesday night.
kim jong un