PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea has released new images of leader Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter firing a pistol at a weapons facility, further fuelling speculation that she is being prepared as a potential successor in the tightly controlled state.
The photographs, published Thursday by state media, show Kim Ju Ae at what officials described as a “major munitions factory” producing pistols and other portable light arms.
Images released by the Korean Central News Agency depict the teenager standing beside her father at the facility’s shooting range, firing what appeared to be a pistol with one eye closed as flames burst from the muzzle.
Other photos show the pair, dressed in matching leather jackets often associated with authority in North Korea, being briefed by officials while inspecting sections of the weapons manufacturing complex.
During the visit, Kim Jong Un reportedly tested the factory’s newly developed pistol at the shooting range and expressed satisfaction with the weapon’s “excellence,” according to state media reports.
The latest appearance follows a series of increasingly prominent public outings by Ju Ae, including images released weeks earlier showing her firing a rifle at a shooting range.
Her repeated presence at military and strategic events has intensified speculation among analysts that she could eventually succeed her father in leading the isolated nuclear-armed state.
North Korea is ruled by the Kim family dynasty, whose leadership is built around a powerful cult of personality tied to what the regime calls the “Paektu bloodline.”
Experts say the state’s portrayal of Ju Ae in military contexts may be intended to build her public image as a future leader.
“It appears the regime is trying to cultivate the image of a strong and formidable woman,” said Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea specialist at Kyungnam University in South Korea.
“The pistol-shooting scene clearly serves to signal that she is cultivating the attributes of a military leader,” he said.
Ju Ae first appeared publicly in 2022 when she accompanied her father to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, marking the first time one of Kim’s children had been shown at such a high-profile military event.
Before that, the only public confirmation of her existence came from former NBA player Dennis Rodman, who said he met the child during a visit to North Korea in 2013.
While North Korea has never officially identified a successor to Kim Jong Un, analysts say the increasing visibility of Ju Ae in state propaganda could signal efforts by the regime to gradually introduce the next generation of leadership.
