At new missile launch, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter makes first public appearance

Kim Jong Un's daughter made her first public appearance accompanying her father to oversee the launch of "a new type" of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter made her first public appearance accompanying her father to oversee the launch of “a new type” of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) on Friday.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has released pictures where Kim is seen hand in hand with his daughter while ICBM sits on its mobile launch platform nearby.

KCNA claimed that the “new” missile being viewed by the pair was a Hwasong-17, and said that it launched from Pyongyang International Airfield, flying a distance of 999.2 kilometres (621 miles).

Earlier, on Friday, after the launch, Japan warned that there is a new missile which appeared to have the potential range to reach the United States mainland.

Kim said that his country will respond to continued threats by using nuclear weapons, state news agency KCNA reported.

He said that Pyongyang “will resolutely react to nukes with nuclear weapons and to total confrontation with all-out confrontation,” the KCNA report said, adding that Kim oversaw the missile launch in person.

The threats come a day after Pyongyang fired an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The isolated country fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) toward the East Sea on Friday, the South Korean military said, in protest over the United States’ move to reinforce its “extended deterrence” protection of South Korea and Japan.

This statement was released on the day when South Korea and the United States simulated strike operations against military sites linked to North Korea‘s missile program.

“Kim Jong Un solemnly declared that if the enemies continue to pose threats … our party and government will resolutely react to nukes with nuclear weapons and to total confrontation with all-out confrontation,” the official KCNA news agency said.

The launch is presumed to have involved the Hwasong-17 ICBM, according to Yonhap, the same ICBM was test-fired on November 3, but the launch was seen as a failure.

The launch of the Hwasong-17 ICBM was confirmed by the north and was part of a “top-priority defence-building strategy” aimed at building “the most powerful and absolute nuclear deterrence,” KCNA said, calling it “the strongest strategic weapon in the world.”

The missile flew nearly 1,000 km (621 miles) for about 69 minutes and reached a maximum altitude of 6,041 km, KCNA said. (ANI)

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