North Korea has released new pictures of leader Kim Jong-un’s teenage daughter, including one showing her firing a rifle at a shooting range, adding to speculation she is being groomed as his successor.
Kim Jong-un’s gift to officials
According to state news agency KCNA, Kim Jong Un presented the new sniper rifles as ceremonial gifts to party and military officials, calling them a “wonderful weapon” and a sign of his confidence.
KCNA said Kim met with senior cadres and commanding officers at the headquarters of the Workers’ Party of Korea on Friday and presented each with a new-generation rifle developed by the Academy of Defense Sciences there.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and representatives of his Workers’ Party in Pyongyang.
“As already published, this next-generation sniper rifle developed and produced by our Academy of Defense Science is truly an amazing weapon,” Kim said.
The gifts were presented on the occasion of the party’s ninth congress.
Among the recipients were members of the party’s Central Military Commission, senior commanders of the Korean People’s Army and Guards, as well as Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, who was first identified by KCNA as director of the general affairs department of the party’s central committee.
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Kim’s teenage daughter Ju Ae, who recently came into her own, was also gifted with a sniper rifle, which she was later seen aiming at a shooting range.
Kim Ju Ae rarely appears in public
Interestingly, Ju Ae was wearing a leather jacket, something her father regularly wears to major political events. In the few times Ju Ae has been seen in public, she has also been seen wearing leather jackets, a sign to many that she is the first in line to succeed her father.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Ju Ae. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS/AFP)
What the world knows about Kim Ju Ae
Not much is known about Ju Ae, including if that is her real name. She is believed to be around 13 years old and made her first public appearance in November 2022 during the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
South Korea’s National Intelligence Agency (NIS) believes the public role suggests she has begun making political contributions and is being treated as a de facto second-in-command.
Read also | Kim Jong Un’s daughter Ju Ae visits the mausoleum, fueling succession speculation
Recent reports also indicated that Ju Ae has completed “successor training” and is now in the process of being officially named.
In North Korea, state media has shifted from describing Ju Ae as a “beloved” daughter to a “respected” daughter, again seen as a sign of cementing her role as the next supreme leader.
Kim Ju Ae with her father, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at a ceremony in Pyongyang in 2024.
Kim’s family from North Korea
If Ju A does indeed become the next leader of North Korea, he will be the fourth generation of the Kim family to lead the country.
Kim Il Sung, who founded the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in September 1948, was the first, followed by his son Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong-un took over as supreme leader of North Korea in December 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il.
Kim Jong-un, who is believed to be in his 40s, has led a highly secretive private life and little is known about his wife Ri Sol-ju, who was awarded the title of Respected First Lady in 2018.
The couple is believed to have two children, including Ju Ae and an older brother whose identity has not yet been released. There are also reports that the couple may have three children.
What about Kim Yo Jong?
Before Ju Ae began making public appearances, it was widely believed that Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong, one of the most powerful figures in North Korea, would be his successor.
FILE PHOTO: Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a wreath laying ceremony at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam March 2, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/Pool BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE/File Photo(REUTERS)
Kim Yo Jong continues to hold a prominent role in the administration, and on Saturday KCNA released a photo of her holding a rifle alongside Hyon Song Wol, an adviser to the North Korean leader who is known to be close to his wife.
