New photos show North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un shooting pistols with his teenage daughter during a tour of a light munitions factory, as rumors swirl of a possible succession plan. The new images published by state media are part of Kim’s push to build up the country’s conventional forces following years of nuclear saber-rattling with the West. Although the dictator rated the pistols “excellent,” it was his 13-year-old sidekick who drew the attention of foreign policy experts. Her name is believed to be Kim Ju Ae and she has become a regular fixture of Kim’s photoshoots, having first appeared next to her dad during a long-range ballistic test in 2022. Before the gun range cameo this week, Ju Ae was seen with her dad at another test launch of supposedly nuclear-capable missiles. Naturally, this has fueled speculation that the 42-year-old leader is preparing his daughter to one day take power as the fourth generation of the Kim family to rule the nation of 26 million. Others believe the family photoshoots have another objective. “The regime is trying to cultivate the image of a strong and formidable woman,” North Korea expert and university faculty member Lim Eul-chul told AFP.
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