In their latest joint public appearance, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter rode a tank together, state media photos showed today, the Associated Press reported. The agency recalls that days ago the two watched missile tests and fired a gun, BTA reported.
North Korea's state news agency KCNA reported that Kim had watched a ground force exercise yesterday.
KCNA images show Kim and his daughter, both dressed in black leather jackets, riding in an olive-green tank with other soldiers during the exercise. The images show the girl sticking her head out of the tank's hatch as Kim sits atop, smiling.
The girl, said to be named Kim Ju-e and about 13 years old, has accompanied her father to a number of important military and other events since late 2022, sparking outside speculation that she is her father's likely successor. North Korean state media has called her Kim Jong-un's "most beloved" or "respected" child and has published footage and photos showing the closeness between the two.
Last week, they fired pistols during a visit to a light munitions factory and watched a test of multiple rocket launchers. Last September, the girl traveled to Beijing with her father and during the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Last month, South Korean intelligence estimated that Kim Jong-un was close to naming her as his successor. Some experts disagreed with that assessment, citing Kim Joo-e's relatively young age and the overwhelmingly male-dominated nature of the North Korean power hierarchy.
The North Korean exercise comes as the United States and South Korea are engaged in annual military exercises that North Korea views as a rehearsal for an invasion. The United States and South Korea wrapped up their 11-day computer-simulated command-and-staff exercise on Monday, but are still conducting field maneuvers.