Kim Jong Un, daughter watch North Korea's cruise missile tests

Kim Jong Un observes cruise missile tests with his daughter, amid North Korea's threats in response to U.S.-South Korean military drills.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his teenage daughter observed tests of strategic cruise missiles fired from a warship, state media reported on Wednesday (March 11, 2026), as North Korea threatened responses to U.S.-South Korean military drills.

Images sent by the Korean Central News Agency showed the two in a conference room looking at a screen showing weapons being fired from the Choe Hyon, a year-old naval destroyer.

Kim Jong Un watched the missiles launches via video on Tuesday and underscored the need to maintain “a powerful and reliable nuclear war deterrent," KCNA reported in a dispatch that did not mention his daughter.

The Choe Hyon naval destroyer conducts a missile test launch observed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at an unknown location in North Korea | Photo Credit: KCNA via Reuters

The girl, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and about 13, has accompanied her father at numerous prominent events, including military parades and weapons launches, since late 2022. South Korea’s spy agency assessed last month Kim Jong Un was close to designating her as his heir.

KCNA said the missiles hit target islands off North Korea's west coast. It quoted Kim Jong Un as saying the launches were meant to demonstrate the navy's strategic offensive posture and get troops familiarized with weapons firings.