A New Era at Sea: Kim Jong-un and Daughter Ju-ae Unveil North Korea’s Latest Naval Power
On the morning of April 25, 2025, under an overcast sky tinged with the soft grays of a hesitant spring, the western port city of Nampho in North Korea stirred with rare and electric anticipation. At the center of this momentous occasion stood North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dressed in his familiar dark overcoat, his expression carrying the solemnity of a man deeply aware of both the historical gravity and the carefully orchestrated symbolism of the event. By his side, walking arm in arm, was his daughter, Ju-ae, an increasingly prominent figure who has, over the past year, stepped into the public gaze with growing regularity.
The occasion was the unveiling ceremony of a new multipurpose destroyer—a significant addition to North Korea’s naval capabilities, and a signal to both domestic and international audiences that Pyongyang remains determined to expand its military prowess. The scene, captured and disseminated the next day by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), was saturated with layers of meaning beyond the military hardware itself.