North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Presents Sniper Rifles, Daughter Captured Handling Weapon

New Delhi: North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un recently gifted new sniper rifles to some of his top officials and military commanders. But the real discussion is because of his daughter. State media released photos showing his daughter (mostly known as Kim Ju Ae, aged about 13-14) holding a rifle—pointing it over her shoulder, taking aim, and even firing it. In one or two pictures, smoke is also seen coming out of the barrel. All this happened after the party congress, and these pictures are becoming increasingly viral on social media.

What was this military program?

According to reports, this program was related to arms production and military preparation. Kim Jong Un reportedly handed over new sniper rifles to officers and talked about increasing the firepower of the army. North Korea's state media described it as a step taken towards strengthening the country's security.

Why did the daughter's presence become a reason for discussion?

Kim's daughter's active presence in the program attracted people's attention. It is considered unusual for him to be seen with a weapon in public. Even before this, she had appeared with her father in many military and missile testing programs. Analysts believe that this may not just be a family presence, but also a political signal.

Is any message being given?

Political observers say that through such events, the leadership wants to send the message that the next generation of the country is also concerned with the issues of military strength and national security. North Korea has long been facing international pressure regarding its defense programs. In such a situation, public military display is being seen as a show of strength.

What is the international reaction?

There have been different reactions to this scene in the foreign media. Some experts called it symbolic, while others considered it part of North Korea's strict military policy. However, at present no immediate diplomatic change is expected from this incident.

Overall, this program of Kim Jong Un does not seem to be limited only to arms distribution, but behind it there are layers of both domestic politics and global messages.

Will this bring any policy changes?

At present it is not clear whether this announcement by Kim Jong Un will mark the beginning of any concrete strategic change at the global level or not. However, this incident seems to further strengthen North Korea's aggressive military propaganda and the image of its leadership. Experts say that through such public military display, North Korea wants to send a message domestically that it is a decision-making and strong-led country.

This scene is once again giving rise to new debates regarding North Korea's internal politics and military policy and analysts around the world are watching it closely.