North Korea has unveiled new postage stamps of Kim Jong-un’s “noble” daughter posing next to a giant intercontinental ballistic missile, in the latest indication of the girl’s rapidly rising profile in the nuclear-armed nation.
Ju-ae, believed to be Kim’s second-born and around ten years old, appears in five out of 11 of the new stamps to commemorate the pariah state’s November launch of its latest ICBM, the Hwasong-17 – a weapon capable of striking the United States.
The young girl was first revealed to the world at the missile launch site, wearing a white puffy jacket and red shoes and walking hand in hand with her father.
The stamps, which capture Ju-ae and Kim walking beside a mobile launcher, showing off the new missile and standing next to cheering troops, will be officially released on Friday by Pyongyang’s Korea Stamp Corporation.
The state-owned company said the collection conveyed Pyongyang’s goal of bolstering “the most powerful and absolute nuclear deterrent”, reported the NK News website. They describe Ju-ae as Kim’s “noble child”.
Since her first appearance in November, Ju-ae has been spotted at four more prestigious events with her parents, taking centre stage last week at a glitzy banquet and waving from a VIP balcony overlooking a mass parade to mark the military’s 75th anniversary.
Described in state media as the leader’s “beloved” and “respected” daughter, the cult of personality now being attributed to the child has triggered speculation that Kim may be priming her to take over the reins as his successor.
However, some analysts suggest the child is being used to boost Kim’s own public image as a family man and that her older sibling, believed to be a brother, is waiting in the wings as heir apparent to the Kim dynasty which has ruled the reclusive nation for the past three generations.
Very little is known about the home life of Kim and his wife Ri Sol-ju, but according to South Korea’s spy agency, Ju-ae likely has an older sibling aged about 13 and a younger one of six.
Her own name, which has not been officially confirmed, was first discovered by former NBA star Dennis Rodman who claimed he met her as a baby during a visit to North Korea in 2013.
