North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his teenage daughter tried new guns at an arms factory in their rare joint public appearance.
According to Independent, the North Korean state media reported on Thursday, March 12, that Kim and his daughter were pictured firing pistols during an inspection of a light munitions factory.
The visit underscores a strategic shift towards modernizing conventional forces, following years focused on nuclear weapons development.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said 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, 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.
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 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.
