North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and daughter Kim Ju-ae tried out the country’s new battle tank in large-scale military drills, state media reported yesterday, in the latest sign that she was being groomed as his heir.
Photos released by state media showed a chuffed-looking Kim Jong-un sitting on top of the moving tank in his trademark leather jacket as the teenage Kim Ju-ae’s head popped out of a hatch during the exercises on Thursday.
The drills at the Pyongyang Training Base No. 60 involved armored units firing anti-tank missiles while rear sub-units targeted simulated enemy drones and helicopters, clearing the way for infantry and tanks, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
Photo: AFP / KCNA via KNS
The tank possesses advanced mobility, firepower and defensive systems, including protection against missiles and drones, KCNA said.
“Watching with great pleasure the tanks violently make a charge, shaking the earth, he [Kim Jong-un] expressed satisfaction that the majestic scene of tanks imposingly advancing forward represents the inherent bravery and pluck of our army,” KCNA reported.
The drill comes amid heightened regional tensions, following recent North Korean missile tests and just-concluded springtime military exercises by South Korea and the United States.
Last month, South Korea’s national intelligence service said that Ju Ae, thought to be in her early teens, has been clearly “designated as a successor” to her father.
This perception has been stoked by a string of recent high-profile outings, including watching a test of nuclear-capable rocket launchers last weekend and firing a pistol last week.
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