Photos released by North Korea’s state news agency KCNA on Friday show leader Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter at the controls of an army tank, with Kim seated behind her. Analysts have suggested the repeated public appearances could indicate she is being groomed as a possible successor.
Believed to be about 13 and commonly referred to as Ju Ae, the girl has been appearing more frequently alongside her father in recent months. In the KCNA images she peers out of the driver’s hatch with a focused expression and hair blown by the wind, while Kim leans on the turret smiling and three uniformed officers sit on the hull.
Earlier this month state media published pictures of her at a firing range aiming a rifle, and on another occasion firing a handgun. North Korean authorities have not officially confirmed her name or age.
KCNA said Kim supervised a drill of a new tank model that demonstrated enhanced offensive and defensive capabilities against drones and anti-tank missiles. The coverage comes amid Kim’s wider push to modernize North Korea’s conventional forces, including tactical missile systems, alongside continuing development of long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.
