NORTH Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un’s daughter has been snapped behind the wheel of a tank under supervision of her grinning father.
Kim Ju Ae, who is believed to be 13, took the driver’s seat during army training supervised by her despot dad, fuelling speculation she is being groomed as his heir.
State media said the North Korean leader oversaw an offensive military drill involving tanks and infantry, urging troops to step up war preparations.
Dramatic footage showed the girl poking her head out of the hatch of a moving olive-green tank, while Kim sat proudly on top alongside three soldiers.
Observers say her position made it clear she was driving the armoured vehicle, but some experts have played it down.
“She only drove straight at a low speed,” said Lee Illwoo, an expert with the Korea Defence Network in South Korea.
“It’s also easy to drive modern tanks, and I think it was easier for her to drive as she was on a flat ground.”
Ju Ae has increasingly appeared at major events with her father since late 2022.
North Korean media has described her as Kim Jong Un’s most beloved or “respected” child, and repeatedly highlighted their close bond.
The pair have been seen firing pistols at a munitions factory, watching rocket launch tests, and even travelling together to Beijing.
On New Year’s Day, she was filmed kissing him on the cheek.
South Korea’s spy agency said last month Kim may be preparing to name her as his successor, though some experts aren’t convinced, pointing to his age and the country’s male-dominated power structure.
The tank stunt came as the US and South Korea wrapped up major joint military drills, exercises Pyongyang routinely brands a rehearsal for invasion.
While the 11-day command post exercise has ended, field training is still ongoing.
