● Kim Jong-un and Daughter Tour Livelihood, Security Sites, Implying Kim Ju-ae's Leadership as 'Great Person of Guidance'

● North Korean TV Used Official Name for South in Women's Football Match, Rodong Sinmun Calls South 'Puppet'

● North Korea Resumes Missile Tests into the East Sea After 33 Days, Following Key Political Events in Russia and China

Kim Jong-un and Daughter Tour Livelihood, Security Sites, 

Implying Kim Ju-ae's Leadership as 'Great Person of Guidance'

North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced that Kim Jong-un and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, attended the opening of the Kangdong Greenhouse near Pyongyang, honored as "great persons of guidance."

<State media on the 16th showcased Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un overseeing North Korean Airborne forces' exercises, accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju-ae. / Photo by Rodong Sinmun>

The term "guidance," often used in North Korea for the supreme leader or the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), unusually includes Kim Ju-ae this time, suggesting a potential leadership role for her.

The same day, KCNA reports highlighted the term "guidance" three times while discussing the pair's actions, specifically praising "Our Respected Comrade Kim Jong-un as a beacon of leadership and innovation," celebrating the "Party's Central Committee's distinguished guidance," and hailing them as "The great persons of guidance." Such wording intentionally places Kim Ju-ae within the realm of leadership.

However, it's interesting to note that this phrasing was specifically chosen for KCNA's international audience. Domestically, Rodong Sinmun referred to Kim Ju-ae more tenderly as "the beloved daughter."

<North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un and daughter Kim Ju-ae are seen engaging with officials at the newly inaugurated Kangdong Comprehensive Greenhouse / Photo by Rodong Sinmun>

On the day the training guidance of the Airborne forces by the Kim duo was reported, state media also revealed photographs where Kim Ju-ae stood ahead of Kim Jong-un, peering through binoculars at the troops below. This unusual spotlighting in North Korean press, typically reserved for Kim Jong-un alone, along with Kim Ju-ae's active participation, fuels speculation regarding her grooming as his successor.

The frequency with which Kim Jong-un includes Kim Ju-ae in public appearances, across both economic and security contexts, is drawing attention. This strategy, possibly aimed at tempering any potential backlash to a female successor amidst the country's traditional views, suggests a calculated effort to familiarize the populace with Kim Ju-ae's presence in varied official settings. Critics argue that this might also reflect a rush to solidify her image as a potential heir amidst internal uncertainties.

During the greenhouse visit, Kim Jong-un arrived in an "Aurus," a luxury armored vehicle gifted by Russian President Putin, receiving a grand escort. A Korean Central Television broadcast showed the Aurus, flanked by security vehicles, moving along empty roads. Upon arrival, Kim Jong-un and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, were seen alighting from the Aurus.

Additionally, on the 16th, Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un's sister and Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), announced through the Korean Central News Agency, "Our respected Comrade Kim Jong-un first used the car, a gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a public event on the 15th."

While Kim Jong-un emphasizes strong ties with Russia, a notable shift is seen in North Korea's relations with Cuba. Reports on the 16th highlighted North Korean Ambassador Ma Chol-su's meeting with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, just before Ma's return to North Korea. Serving since 2018, Ma's recall, soon after the diplomatic outreach between South Korea and Cuba, suggests it might be the cause.

North Korean TV Used Official Name for South in Women's Football Match, Rodong Sinmun Calls South 'Puppet'

<The broadcast, contrasting with Rodong Sinmun's reference to the South Korean team as 'puppet' on the 14th, opted for subtitles reading 'Chosun vs. ROK and made no mention of ‘ROK' or 'puppet' in its commentary. Remarkably, the South Korean flag was also displayed in full, without any censorship, marking a significant shift from previous practices./Photo by Korean Central Television, Yonhap News Agency>

North Korean television caught viewers' attention by referring to South Korea as "ROK" during a women's football match broadcast between the North and South, a notable departure from its usual 'puppet' label.

On the 17th, North Korea's Korean Central Television showcased the semi-final battle between the North and South Korean teams in the U-20 Women's Asian Cup, held in Uzbekistan.

On the 17th, the Korean Central Television aired the thrilling semi-final match from the 13th, labeling South Korea as ‘ROK’ and North Korea as 'Chosun'.

<North Korea's Rodong Sinmun labeled South Korea as 'puppet’ while covering the semi-final match between North and South Korea in the U-20 Women's Asian Cup, which took place in Uzbekistan on the 14th / Photo by Rodong Sinmun>

While Rodong Sinmun previously used the term 'puppet’ in its coverage of the match on the 14th, the televised match presented the South Korean flag in its entirety, a notable change from the 2022 Qatar World Cup broadcasts where the flag was blurred out.

Aside from the subtitles, the broadcast conspicuously avoided any direct references to South Korea, focusing its narrative solely around 'our team', North Korea, without giving South Korea any mention.

This latest media approach, frequently adopting terms like 'puppet' and 'puppet Korea' for the South since last year, reflects the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's stance on treating South Korea as an adversary.

In a notable turn of events during the semi-finals, North Korea dominated South Korea with a 3-0 victory, later defeating Japan 2-1 in the finals to claim their first U-20 Women's Asian Cup title in 17 years.

North Korea Resumes Missile Tests into the East Sea After 33 Days, Following Key Political Events in Russia and China

<On February 14th, North Korean outlets reported the test-firing of the 'Padasuri-6' ground-to-sea missile, supervised by Kim Jong-un / Photo by Rodong Sinmun>

On March 18th, North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles into the East Sea, restarting its provocative actions 33 days after its last cruise missile deployment, as confirmed by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The recent launches are notably the second instance of ballistic missile tests this year, following a 64-day hiatus since a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) test on January 14th.

In the early hours of the morning, at approximately 7:44 AM, suspected short-range ballistic missiles were detected originating from Sangwon County in North Hwanghae Province, heading towards the East Sea.

They added, "Our military is ramping up surveillance and coordination with the US and Japan, preparing for any further launches and ensuring we're fully ready to respond."

The South Korean military is currently assessing the specifics of the missile launches, including their trajectory and speed. Meanwhile, the Japan Coast Guard reported that the missiles landed outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) shortly after launch.

North Korea's resumption of provocations after a month of silence, notably during the U.S.-South Korea "Freedom Shield (FS)" exercise from March 4th to 14th, has elicited various interpretations.

Experts believe North Korea avoided provocations during key political events in China and Russia, strategically timing their resumption after these events concluded.

Russia, maintaining close ties with North Korea, especially after the Ukraine conflict, witnessed the re-election of President Vladimir Putin for a fifth term on March 17th. China also concluded its ‘Two Sessions’, a major political gathering, from March 4th to 11th.

The military stays alert for more provocations by North Korea, particularly around the South Korean elections, Kim Il-sung's birthday (April 15), and the Korean People's Army Foundation Day (April 25). North Korea also plans to launch three reconnaissance satellites by year-end, confirmed at last year's WPK Plenary Meeting.