Kim Jong Un and teenage daughter try out new pistols in further hint at North Korea succession

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his teenage daughter have been pictured firing pistols during an inspection of a light munitions factory.

The visit, reported by state media reported on Thursday, underscores a strategic shift towards modernising conventional forces, following years focused on nuclear weapons development.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Mr Kim visited a factory producing pistols and other light arms a day earlier and reviewed a new pistol that recently entered production.

After testing the weapon at a shooting range, Mr Kim rated it “excellent,” the agency said. The agency did not mention the presence of Kim’s daughter in its text report but its photos showed her firing a pistol along with senior military officials.

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Mr Kim reportedly stressed the factory’s vital role in supplying pistols and other light arms to the military and security forces, urging expanded capacity and more modern production lines.

His daughter, believed to be Kim Ju Ae and approximately 13, has been increasingly visible since her first appearance at a long-range missile test in November 2022.

She has accompanied her father to various high-profile events, including military parades, factory inaugurations, and a September trip to Beijing, where Mr Kim held his first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years.

Her increasingly prominent public appearances have prompted South Korean intelligence officials and experts to assess that Kim Jong Un is likely grooming her as a future leader to extend the family dynasty into a fourth generation.

State media last month showed the girl testing a sniper rifle as Kim presented the weapons to senior officials following a ruling party congress where he issued his major political and military goals for the next five years.

The visit to the pistol factory followed an inspection Tuesday in which Kim and his daughter watched the test launch of what state media described as nuclear-capable cruise missiles from a naval destroyer as Kim called for speeding up the nuclear armament of his navy.