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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

Kim Jong Un (Hangul 김정은, Hanja 金正恩, English Kim Jong-Un) is a North Korean politician, brought a child believed to be his daughter to a lavish banquet at a military barracks on Tuesday, CNN reported.

This, experts say, is a sign that the girl is likely being groomed to be his eventual successor in an authoritarian family regime dating back decades.

The girl, believed to be Kim's second child, Ju Ae, who is about 9 years old, and her father were accompanied by his wife Ri Sol Ju at the barracks visit and subsequent banquet to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army (KNA), state media reported on Wednesday.

A report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described the visit by Kim and his "esteemed" daughter as a dream come true for military officials 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 officers cheered.

At the banquet, the girl was seated in the center of the lead table between Kim and her mother.

In a country where the Kim family and the military are powerful, the girl's presence at such an important event sends clear signals, said Leif-Erik Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

South Korean lawmakers say Kim Jong-un has gotten rid of a former foreign minister

"By ostentatiously appearing with his wife and daughter, Kim wants observers at home and abroad to see his family dynasty and the North Korean military as irrevocably linked," he said.

Other observers commented that it was clear that Kim had chosen his successor, confirming speculation that began with the girl's appearance at the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in November.

South Korean lawmaker and National Intelligence Service secretary Yoo Sang-bum said after the launch that the girl was Ju Ae.

Pictures show the two walking hand-in-hand as they inspect the massive missile, with state media calling her Kim's "favorite" daughter.

North Korean state media published a story later that month with photos of Kim and his daughter, describing her as his "most beloved" child, said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea.

"With this in mind, there is no longer any doubt that Kim Ju-ae has been appointed as Kim Jong-un's successor

Kim Jong Un (Hangul 김정은, Hanja 金正恩, English Kim Jong-Un) is a North Korean politician, and it is necessary to pay attention to how this will affect North Korea's domestic and foreign policy in the medium and long term , and how North Koreans will accept the fourth-generation succession,” Cheong said.

The Kim family's rule 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 over the country.

Kim Jong-un

Kim Jong Un (Hangul 김정은, Hanja 金正恩, English Kim Jong-Un) is a North Korean politician who came to power in December 2011 after the death of his father Kim Jong-Il.

There is no indication that Kim Jong-un

Kim Jong Un (Hangul 김정은, Hanja 金正恩, English Kim Jong-Un) is a North Korean political, soon to hand over leadership.

Although the Kim regime has held similar banquets for the military before, pictures from Tuesday's event depict a more lavish setting than has been seen before.

"Kim's lavish banquet honoring the armed forces is intended to show that officers are highly respected in society and soldiers are well supported by the state," Easley said.

KCNA reported that Kim Jong-un

Kim Jong Un (Hangul 김정은, Hanja 金正恩, English Kim Jong-Un) is a North Korean politician, gave a speech at the banquet in which the North Korean leader praised and encouraged the military without making any comments about the United States or South Korea.

Tuesday's banquet was the day before North Korea's biggest military parade.

Kim Jong-un

North Korea