Steering his successor: North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un watches on with delight as his daughter, 13, sits behind the wheel of a tank throughout a army drill
The teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was pictured driving an army tank during military training supervised by her father amid speculation that she become his successor.
The official Korean Central News Agency reported on Friday that Kim oversaw an offensive tactical drill involving tank units and infantry troops a day earlier and called for completing war preparations.
Videos and images released by state media showed Kim’s daughter sticking her head out of of the driver’s hatch of a moving, military green tank while her smiling father sits on top with three soldiers.
Kim’s daughter, known as Ju Ae and believed to be around 13 years old, has been making increasingly frequent public appearances with her father in recent months.
North Korean state media has called her Kim’s ‘most beloved’ or ‘respected’ child and published footage and photos indicating the two’s closeness.
They recently fired pistols during a visit to a light munitions factory and watched a live-fire test of multiple rocket launch systems, and in September, the girl went to Beijing with her father.
There has been no official confirmation by the North of her name or age.
South Korea’s spy agency assessed last month Kim Jong Un was close to designating her as his heir.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae boarding a tank during their visit to the Pyongyang Training Base
Kim’s daughter, known as Ju Ae and believed to be around 13 years old, has been making increasingly frequent public appearances with her father in recent months
South Korea’s spy agency assessed last month Kim Jong Un was close to designating his daughter as his heir
The Kim family has ruled North Korea for three generations since 1948
Some experts disagree with that assessment, citing Kim Jong Un’s relatively young age and the extremely male-dominated nature of North Korea’s power hierarchy.
Ju Ae is the only child of Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju.
The Kim family has ruled North Korea for three generations since 1948 – beginning with Kim II Sung, them Kim Jong II in 1994, followd by Kim Jong Un in 2011.
While Ju Ae appears to be the clear favourite in line for the succession, she does have a potential rival – her ambitious aunt, Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jung.
Yo Jong, 38, is said to be planning to seize control for herself should the dictator die or become incapacitated.
She is well-respected within political and military ranks and is widely seen as the most powerful person in North Korea after Kim.
The North Korean training comes after Kim on Thursday supervised a drill of a new type of tank, which demonstrated superior offensive and defensive capabilities against drones and anti-tank missiles, according to KCNA.
Kim has in recent years pursued the modernisation of the country’s conventional weapons, including tactical missiles, alongside the development of a strategic arsenal that includes long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.
It also comes as the U.S. and South Korea were engaged in their annual military exercises that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.
The U.S. and South Korea wrapped up their 11-day computer-simulated command post exercise on Thursday, but they are still continuing field training.
