Overview
- KCNA said Kim Jong Un met senior party and military figures on Friday and gave each a new‑generation sniper rifle, calling it a sign of his “absolute trust,” before test‑firing the weapon at a range.
- State media released a rare solo image of his teenage daughter, widely reported as Kim Ju Ae, firing a rifle at an outdoor range and wearing a leather coat similar to her father’s.
- KCNA for the first time identified Kim Yo Jong as director of the Workers’ Party General Affairs Department, a role described by outside analysts as overseeing internal operations, and showed her handling a rifle at the range.
- South Korea’s National Intelligence Service recently assessed that Pyongyang has begun the process of designating Ju Ae as successor, a view echoed by experts who read the rifle imagery as deliberate messaging.
- Despite intense speculation during the ninth party congress, no formal party position was given to Ju Ae, though state media said the meetings laid a foundation to ensure the party’s “glorious succession.”