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Kim and his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, oversaw Tuesday's launch at Rajin Port in the country's north, according to KCNA, which published photos of them at the event.

In 2023, a crew member named Ae Khunsena died under suspicious circumstances, with his family suspecting foul play, while officials ruled it a suicide.

On Friday, 64 years later, Alan pulled down the shutter for the final time on local retail institution AE Hartley & Son.

It has been widely speculated that Mr Kim is grooming his young daughter, thought to be called Ju Ae, to be his successor, but Mr Ri dismisses the notion.

Ju Ae, he says, lacks the legitimacy and popularity to become the leader of North Korea, especially as the sacred Paektu bloodline, which the Kims use to justify their rule, is believed to run only through the men of the family.