North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un’s daughter has been seen riding shotgun with her smiling father in a tank as the pair rock matching leather.
Kim Joo-ae, believed to be 13 years old, took over the driver’s seat Army The training was overseen by her autocratic father, leading to speculation that she was being groomed to succeed him.
State media said the North Korean leader inspected an offensive military exercise involving tanks and infantry, and urged troops to step up combat preparations.
The bizarre footage showed the girl poking her head out of the hatch of a moving olive-green tank, while Kim sat proudly on top with three soldiers.
Observers say her condition made it clear she was driving Armored vehicles, but some experts have not given importance to it.
“He just drove straight at a slow speed,” said Lee Ilwoo, an expert at the Korea Defense Network. south korea.
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“Modern tanks are also easier to drive, and I think it was easier for him to drive this one because it was on level ground.”
Ju Ai has increasingly started appearing at major events with her father from November 2022.
She was seen walking hand in hand with her father during a missile launch, which immediately attracted international attention.
North Korean media have described her as Kim’s most beloved or respected child and have repeatedly highlighted their close relationship.
In September 2025, Ju-ae made her international debut when she joined Rocket Man in a military parade in Beijing.
Only a week earlier, the pair were photographed wearing the same matching leathers while firing pistols and watching rocket launch tests at a munitions factory.
Ju-ae was seen confidently pointing a weapon at the target while having one eye closed for accuracy as flames shot from the muzzle of the gun.
The state visit comes as Kim pushes to modernize conventional forces after years of focusing on nuclear weapons.
Last month, the two were photographed testing sniper rifles after a ruling party congress, where they released their key political and military goals for the next five years.
On New Year’s Day, she was filmed kissing him on the cheek.
South Korea’s spy agency said last month that Kim was preparing to nominate her as his successor, although some experts disagree, pointing to her age and the country’s male-dominated nature. Power structure.
Despite her rising public profile, the dictator’s teenage daughter was never officially named.
There are rumors that he has an older brother who would have been a candidate for succession before him, but he has never been publicly revealed.
Ju-ae is believed to be the second of three children of Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju, and is the only one who has been seen in public.
The tank stunt came as the US and South Korea completed major joint military exercises that Pyongyang regularly rehearses for invasions.
While the 11-day command post exercise has ended, field training is still ongoing.
