SEOUL — North Korea has released new images of leader Kim Jong Un and his teenage daughter at a rifle range, intensifying speculation that the young girl is being positioned as a potential successor to the country’s dynastic leadership.
Photos published Saturday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) show Kim firing what was described as a “new generation sniper’s rifle” at an undisclosed location. In several images, his daughter — widely believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and thought to be in her early teens — is seen accompanying him at the range.
One image appeared to show the girl firing a sniper rifle herself. Independent media reviews flagged that particular photograph as potentially showing signs of digital manipulation, though no definitive conclusion has been announced. North Korea released a total of 27 images from the event.
According to KCNA, Kim presented the rifles as gifts to senior military leaders to recognise their service to the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, calling the weapon “a really wonderful” advancement.
Party reshuffle and reaffirmed leadership
The shooting-range appearance followed a congress of the Workers’ Party, a major political gathering where Kim’s leadership was reaffirmed by unanimous vote.
At the same event, Kim’s influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, was promoted to director of a party department after years serving in a deputy role, consolidating her position within the inner circle. Several other senior party and military roles were reshuffled, with younger loyalists elevated.
Despite those changes, much of the domestic and international attention centred on Kim Ju Ae.
Growing public profile
The teenager has increasingly appeared alongside her father at high-profile events, including missile tests and large-scale military parades. During recent celebrations in Pyongyang, she stood beside Kim as he reviewed thousands of troops marching through Kim Il Sung Square, named after the country’s founding leader and her great-grandfather.
Her repeated public appearances have fueled speculation that she could become the fourth-generation successor of the Kim family, which has ruled North Korea since before the Korean War began in 1950.
In February, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers it believes Kim Jong Un has “entered the stage of nominating her as successor,” though Pyongyang has not officially confirmed any succession plans.
Yang Mu-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told South Korea’s Chosun Daily newspaper that showcasing Kim Ju Ae handling a rifle may be symbolic.
“By emphasising that Kim Ju Ae knows how to fire a rifle, North Korea is hinting that she is undergoing succession training,” he said.
Other released images showed the girl wearing a leather jacket, observing through binoculars as her father took aim, and assisting in presenting the rifles to military officials.
Analysts say the carefully choreographed visuals appear designed to reinforce continuity within the Kim dynasty while projecting strength and stability at home and abroad.
