The teen daughter of Kim Jong Un was seen driving a battle tank during a military drill overseen by the North Korean dictator, in the duo’s latest appearance which is likely to strengthen conversations around her role as his successor.
Kim Ju Ae, believed to be around 13 years old, has been increasingly seen accompanying her father to public and military gatherings in the recent months.
The photos shared by state news agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday showed her seated in the front and looking out of the battle tank’s driver’s hatch.
She was accompanying her father and the North Korean dictator during a large-scale military drill, according to the state media report.
The North Korean leader was seen leaning against the turret and three uniformed military officers sat on the hull.
Mr Kim was supervising a drill of a new type of tank, which demonstrated superior offensive and defensive capabilities against drones and anti-tank missiles, according to the KCNA report.
Last week on Saturday, Kim Ju Ae accompanied Mr Kim for a major missile test involving 12 precision rocket launchers.
According to KCNA, a long-range artillery unit of the Korean People's Army carried out the drill on Saturday using twelve 600mm ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers and two artillery companies.
The two were seen walking near olive-green launch trucks and looking at weapons being launched from them.
Kim Ju Ae, increasingly being viewed as the likely successor of the North Korean regime, has been accompanying her father at numerous high-profile events like missile tests and military parades since late 2022, stoking outside speculation that she’s being groomed as his heir.
In late February, she was seen handling a rifle at an event Mr Kim hosted to present the rifles to senior party and military officials, thanking them for their commitment to the regime over the past five years.
North Korea has not released an official confirmation of her name or age. She first made her public appearance in November 2022.
The state media refers to her as Mr Kim’s “respected” or “most beloved” child. The belief that she is named Kim Ju Ae is based on an account by former NBA champion Dennis Rodman, in which he recalled holding Mr Kim’s baby daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013.
The girl, likely in her early teens and bearing a close resemblance to her mother, accompanied her father on what was his first visit to a major gathering of world leaders to China in 2025, marking her first known trip abroad.
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