SEOUL, Feb 28,  (V7N) – North Korea released a rare image Saturday of leader Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter Ju Ae firing a rifle at a shooting range, adding to speculation she is being groomed as his successor.  

Ju Ae has appeared at a series of high-profile events, including this week’s military parade marking the close of the party congress. Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency published a photo of her aiming through a rifle scope, smoke rising from the barrel, dressed in a leather jacket similar to her father’s.  

KCNA reported Kim presented new sniper rifles to senior officials as a gesture of “absolute trust” before visiting the range himself. South Korea’s spy agency said earlier this month that Ju Ae appears to have been designated as successor.  

Analysts said the image underscores her training. “By showing Ju Ae handling a weapon, the photos suggest she is indeed receiving training as a successor,” said Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies.  

KCNA also announced Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong will head the party’s general affairs department, a role seen as akin to secretary-general. The Kim family’s “Paektu bloodline” has dominated North Korea’s leadership for decades.  

END/WD/RH