North Koreans speculate on succession as Kim Ju Ae drives tank in state media footage

North Korean state media’s recent images of Kim Ju Ae firing rifles, handguns, and now driving a tank have sparked notable reactions inside the country, with many North Korean people connecting the displays to succession planning.

A source in South Pyongan province said Thursday that the tank footage, broadcast on state television following Kim Jong Un’s March 19 visit to Pyongyang’s 60th Training Base of the Capital Defense Corps, drew far more attention than the earlier weapons footage. “The tank driving is a different matter,” the source said. “It’s not something anyone can experience unless they’ve served in a tank unit.”

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper published a photo of Kim Ju Ae firing a sniper rifle on Feb. 28, when Kim Jong Un presented new-model sniper rifles to senior officials and military commanders. On March 12, the paper published additional images of Kim Ju Ae firing a handgun during Kim Jong Un’s field guidance visit to a key munitions factory under the Second Economic Committee.

The source noted that most North Korean people initially treated the firearms footage as unremarkable, since youth military training through the Red Youth Guard typically begins around age 16. “People thought she was probably just doing regular training,” the source said.

The tank images prompted a different response. “The Marshal (Kim Jong Un) showed his children to the public from an early age, and now he’s showing her shooting guns and driving a tank,” the source said. “This can’t help but become a talking point among people.”

A calculated image, or genuine grooming for power?

The tank footage has revived popular discussion of myths surrounding Kim Jong Un’s own childhood. “There are stories that the Marshal could drive and shoot from the age of three,” the source said, adding that many people now interpret the Ju Ae footage as an attempt to project similar qualities onto the next generation. “People are saying it seems designed to emphasize that she showed extraordinary talent and genius from an early age.”

Some North Korean people have gone further, suggesting the imagery will be repurposed for future propaganda. “They’re saying the scenes of her shooting and driving a tank will later be used in ‘greatness’ propaganda, to show she was special from childhood,” the source said. This reading ties into ongoing speculation about Kim Ju Ae as a potential successor, an assessment South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has said it shares, concluding that she has entered the formal succession grooming process.

Among ordinary North Korean people, however, succession talk remains cautious. “When you see her accompanying him on every field guidance visit, you do think about succession,” the source said. “But there are also rumors he has a son, so people aren’t yet convinced. What most people do naturally assume, without anyone telling them to, is that one of his children will eventually take over.”

Younger North Korean people have been notably more skeptical. Some dismissed the tank footage outright, saying that anyone trained from a young age could do it. Others offered a more pointed analysis: “She’s still young, but she keeps appearing in these very mature settings. People think that’s also deliberate, to build an image of her as exceptionally bright.”

The source described a clear generational divide in how the imagery lands. Older North Korean people tend to accept state-produced content at face value, while younger people are increasingly likely to question it and push back.

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