Kim Jong Un (left) and his daughter Kim Ju Ae fire pistols during an inspection of a small arms factory. [KCNA=Fox News]

Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae fired pistols during an inspection of a small arms factory, North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. 

U.S. media outlet Fox News reported on the 11th, citing KCNA, that Kim Jong Un visited a pistol and other small arms factory and test-fired a new pistol that recently entered production.

Kim Jong Un, who has recently been pursuing the modernization of conventional forces, reportedly evaluated the test firing as "excellent."

The newspaper did not directly mention Kim Jong Un's daughter, but the photo showed Kim Ju Ae, wearing a leather jacket, firing a pistol alongside high-ranking military officials.

Kim Jong Un (right) and his daughter Kim Ju Ae inspect a small arms factory. [KCNA=Fox News]

According to the report, Kim Ju Ae (approximately 13 years old) has been appearing publicly since her first public appearance at an intercontinental ballistic missile test in November 2022, attending military exhibitions and factory opening ceremonies, and most recently, she observed the test launch of a cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads alongside her father.

In addition, Kim Jong Un reportedly took his daughter with him when he visited Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first in six years. 

North Korean experts believe that Kim Ju Ae's frequent public appearances suggest that Kim Jong Un is grooming her as a successor for a fourth-generation hereditary transfer of power.

Reporter Im Yo-hee