North Korea A week-long ruling party convention celebrating the leadership of dictator Kim Jong Un took place in . After this, Kim Jong Un gifted new sniper rifles to top government and military officials. State media prominently featured a photo of his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, taking aim at a shooting range. Kim Jong’s daughter’s frequent presence with her father is fueling speculation that Kim is grooming her as a future leader. Also present at the celebration was Kim’s powerful sister Kim Yo Jong, who has served as his vocal spokesperson towards Washington and Seoul in recent years. After promotion in Congress, she is now working on the post of Director General of the Central Committee of the party. His new position signals his broader role overseeing the internal operations and administrative affairs of the party.
Daughter’s continuously increasing presence with Kim Jong
Photos taken by state media showed Kim Yo Jong and other top officials aiming rifles given to them by Kim Jong Un. Kim’s younger daughter, wearing the same brown leather coat as her father, also appeared to be holding a gun while smoke billowed from the gun’s barrel. Kim Ju A, 13, has accompanied her father to a number of events since she first appeared in public at a long-range missile test in November 2022, including military demonstrations, factory openings and a visit to Beijing in September. In Beijing, Kim Jong Un held his first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years.
Doors opened for talks with America, but Kim put this condition
At this year’s meetings, Kim stressed his plans to ramp up North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, which is already equipped with a variety of weapons systems. They are considered a threat to America and America’s allies in Asia. With this he confirmed his tough stance towards rival South Korea. However, he kept the doors of talks open with America. Reiterating Pyongyang’s earlier stance, he said Washington should drop demands for North Korea’s denuclearization as a condition for resuming long-stalled talks.
