Since her first public appearances at missile tests in 2022, Ju-ae has increasingly been portrayed as the symbolic heir to the Kim dynasty. Her attendance at the Air Force anniversary—an event directly tied to nuclear deterrence—was a deliberate message: the future leadership of North Korea will continue to rely on military strength, nuclear weapons, and strategic confrontation as pillars of legitimacy.
In authoritarian systems like North Korea’s, symbolic politics matter immensely. By placing Ju-ae at the heart of strategic military ceremonies, Kim is embedding the idea that the continuation of nuclear deterrence is inseparable from the continuation of his bloodline.
Modernization Under Sanctions
North Korea’s military modernization, particularly in aviation, is unfolding under one of the world’s harshest sanctions regimes. Since its first nuclear test in 2006, Pyongyang has faced successive waves of UN Security Council sanctions aimed at cutting off its access to military hardware, aviation fuel, electronics, and financial systems.
Yet the Air Force anniversary clearly demonstrated that these restrictions have slowed but not stopped technological progress. Through domestic reverse engineering, clandestine procurement networks, cyber theft, and possible support from sympathetic states, North Korea has continued to expand its military toolkit.
