North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed a live-fire exercise featuring multiple rocket launch systems on Saturday, accompanied by his teenage daughter. This demonstration comes as North Korea ramps up its weapons tests in response to ongoing joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, as reported by state media.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) detailed that Kim oversaw a strike drill that involved twelve 600mm ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers along the eastern coast of North Korea, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the South Korean military reported the detection of approximately ten ballistic missiles launched from an area near Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.
Images released by the North Korean government show Kim Jong Un and his daughter attending the live-fire test of the rocket systems at an undisclosed location within the country on Saturday, March 14, 2026. (Source: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
In response to these missile launches, South Korea’s National Security Council criticized the actions as provocative and highlighted that they stand in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit North Korea from conducting ballistic missile tests, as noted by the Associated Press.
According to state media, Kim stated that the drill aimed to showcase the destructive potential of North Korea’s tactical nuclear forces.
“If this weapon is used, the opponent’s military infrastructure within its striking range can never survive,” Kim said.
This photo provided by the North Korean government shows leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter watching cruise missiles launches from the naval destroyer, the Choe Hyon, via video Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
Photos released by state media showed Kim Jong Un and his daughter — believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, about 13 or 14 years old — walking near launch trucks, The Associated Press reported.
Kim Ju Ae has appeared alongside her father at numerous military events, missile tests and parades since late 2022, fueling speculation that Kim Jong Un may be positioning her as a future successor.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter tries out a pistol at a factory producing pistols and other arms at an undisclosed place in North Korea on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
The live-fire test followed after the U.S. and South Korea began their annual military drills earlier this week, which North Korea routinely condemns as rehearsals for an invasion.
Last month, Kim Jong Un reportedly gave his teenage daughter a leadership role in the regime’s powerful “Missile Administration,” the body that oversees Pyongyang’s nuclear forces.
