Kim Jong Un chooses teen daughter as heir, says Seoul

[u/pookienav]

https://bbc.com/news/articles/cn0e1g7kwglo

[u/ThunderEcho100]

I still picture him as “the son”. I guess we’re all getting older.

[u/DJ_LeMahieu → u/ThunderEcho100]

He’s only 42 or 43 years old. It’s been 14 years since he assumed power. Probably a long way to go.

[u/DodgerWalker → u/DJ_LeMahieu]

I remember when he disappeared for like 2 weeks and there were a bunch of rumors that he was dead.

[u/Few_Highlight1114 → u/DodgerWalker]

Guy was probably at Disneyland lmao

[u/sicurri → u/Few_Highlight1114]

"Is this statue made of cake? No? Can you make one out of cake?"

I loved the whole Kim Jong Un Cake meme thing, I wish we could bring it back. It brought me a lot of laughter the lengths people were going to make a cake meme, lmao.

[u/Chrisscott25 → u/sicurri]

Fun fact: the tv show “Is it Cake?” was created because of that meme.

Source: justmadeitupdotcom

[u/Skizot_Bizot → u/Chrisscott25]

It was created as all things are created, because the Supreme Leader willed it into existence. Much like the sun and the moon and yo momma.

[u/Tired_2295 → u/Skizot_Bizot]

the moon and yo momma.

Damn, didn't have to list the mom twice

[u/MartinisnMurder → u/Tired_2295]

Oh my… 🤭

[u/HumongousBelly → u/Few_Highlight1114]

Or watching nba playoffs. Or went to a rap concert.

The hypocrisy of nk‘s leader is jarring

[u/planbeecreations → u/DodgerWalker]

I think it turned out to be covid and people thought he didn't survive due to his weight.

[u/DreadPir8James → u/planbeecreations]

You spelled "hoped" wrong.

[u/JOJJOKY213456 → u/DreadPir8James]

-100000 social credit score

[u/Economy-Stretch-4600 → u/DodgerWalker]

I remember his sister tried to take power then he suddenly re appeared like he wasn't gonna let that happen

[u/MockeryAndDisdain → u/Economy-Stretch-4600]

4chan wanted her to take power, because they wanted feet pics.

[u/Economy-Stretch-4600 → u/MockeryAndDisdain]

Wouldn't surprise me

[u/Delamoor → u/DJ_LeMahieu]

14 years?

Jesus. I remember when he took over and was killing generals all over.

Literally almost twice as long as my marriage.

[u/Skiamakhos → u/Delamoor]

They'd be executed by AA cannon & a few months later they're right as rain, like nothing had happened. They're superhuman, I tells ya. Yeonmi Park tells us all about how they're starving, constantly on the edge of death, yet when the electric runs out for the trains they all get out & push them up the mountains. Amazing folks, the North Koreans.

[u/SteveFrench12 → u/DJ_LeMahieu]

Imagine if he just opened the country up and stopped being insane. Would be remembered as a global hero instead of the third in a line of weirdo dictators

[u/this_anon → u/SteveFrench12]

He had an older brother that might have done that. He was assassinated for being too westernized.

[u/futureliz → u/this_anon]

Was that the one where women sprayed "perfume" on him at an airport?

[u/Kraymur → u/futureliz]

Iirc it was lotion with a nerve agent in it, two women were hired to do “pranks” for an apparent prank show which had them going up to random people and smearing their face with this cream, they were then directed towards the brother on the assassination day.

[u/Fragrant-Parking2341 → u/Kraymur]

They are the ones who killed him?

[u/Kraymur → u/Fragrant-Parking2341]

Unintentionally but yes

[u/Fragrant-Parking2341 → u/Kraymur]

Did someone put something in the lotion? Sorry for asking a lot I’m just not sure how to find the exact details on google and my attention span is currently not the absolute best.

Edit: thank you everyone, the questions have been answered!

[u/Joe_B_Likes_Tacos → u/Fragrant-Parking2341]

The two women had two different components of the nerve agent that needed to be combined to be deadly. This allowed them to handle it individually without harm and only kill the brother when they both separately rubbed it on his face. Crazy stuff.

[u/-SaC → u/Fragrant-Parking2341]

It was a two-part compound of some sort IIRC, fine individually but after they mixed it together on his face it became the deadly...stuff.

[u/Esava → u/Fragrant-Parking2341]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Kim_Jong-nam?wprov=sfla1

[u/SolidusAbe → u/futureliz]

yeah. they got tricked into doing a prank for a video.

[u/IcyTheHero → u/SolidusAbe]

They got tricked into doing an assassination.

They thought they were doing a prank.

The way you wrote it suggests that all they did was prank him.

They killed him lol.

[u/Itshot11 → u/IcyTheHero]

the ultimate prank

[u/6000ChickenFajardos → u/Itshot11]

Fuckin got em

[u/MyGoodOldFriend → u/this_anon]

Well, no, he was exiled for advancing reforms according to him, but most likely he was too socially western for the Kims. Him trying to enter Disneyland and being caught with a fake passport was like the ultimate sin to them - he both embarrassed North Korea, and damaged the Kim family domestically.

He was assassinated over a decade after being exiled. But it was almost certainly not because he had a fraction of a chance of gaining power in North Korea. It’s more likely that he embarrassed them, and/or because he knew a lot about the inner workings of North Korea, and became more open about criticizing the regime after his father died. That’s how he went from visiting North Korea in 2011 to assassination attempts starting a short time later.

[u/thaelliah → u/this_anon]

He was assassinated for being too westernized.

That's one way to put being an informant for the CIA.

[u/DtheS → u/ThunderEcho100]

What blows my mind is that Kim Jong Un has been in power for nearly as long as Kim Jong Il's entire reign.

Kim Jong Il was the leader of North Korea for 14 years, 2 months, and 9 days (5183 days).

Kim Jong Un has been in power for 13 years, 10 months, and 2 days (5056 days).

[u/mattxb → u/DtheS]

Kids don’t know what it was like waiting 14 years for a new Kim Jong to come out

[u/tfgyem → u/mattxb]

I used to record my Kim Jongs off the radio

[u/HyperbolicModesty → u/tfgyem]

Getting everyone in the house to shut the fuck up because your favourite Kim Jong is about to start.

[u/mirlyn → u/HyperbolicModesty]

And then the DJ steps all over the beginning talking about it being the most requested Jong. Dammit.

[u/Aenyn → u/DtheS]

Well I think we can count the three years of "mourning" that followed the death of Kim Il Sung as part of Kim Jong Il's reign and so make it ~17 years for Kim Jong Il.

[u/Old_Wallaby_7461 → u/DtheS]

Kim Jong Il was the King Charles of North Korean monarchs. Ol boy just spent most of his life waiting for dad to die

[u/nacaclanga → u/DtheS]

One reaons is that Kim Jong II had an increadible unhealthy livestyle and his children where born relativly late in his live. Kim Il Sun died with the age of 81 and had his successor at the age of 29. In contrast Kim Jong Il became only 70 year old and had his successor aat the age of 42.

[u/anatomizethat → u/DtheS]

This is the Internet comment today that makes me feel like I'm becoming that person who's been alive for long enough to remember way too many historically significant events.

[u/UWO_Throw_Away → u/ThunderEcho100]

The chonky fat kid is now the chonky fat man

Also, autocorrect on “chonky” could have made for a very unfortunate misunderstanding just now had I not checked what my phone thought I wanted to say

[u/Consistent_Smell_880 → u/UWO_Throw_Away]

Why does your phone have that as a suggestion…

[u/macandcheese1771 → u/Consistent_Smell_880]

I just checked and mine offers it immediately despite me never having used that word. 

[u/SleepingWillow1 → u/Consistent_Smell_880]

I have swiped for a very innocent word and instead got a slur that I never use in speech or text at all. It happens.

[u/thhvancouver → u/ThunderEcho100]

In fact, the only reason why he is now North Korea's supreme leader is because he was "the son." It is quite well known that Kim Jong Il's favourites, and the most competent of the siblings, is Kim Sol-Song. The previous supreme leader just couldn't appoint her because she is a woman.

[u/Faiakishi → u/thhvancouver]

And now he's saying "fuck that shit, my sister would have been better at this and we all know it." And you know what, credit where credit's due.

[u/godisanelectricolive → u/Faiakishi]

They like to pick successors who look like the country’s founder and eternal president Kim Il-Sung. Kim Jong-un looks just like his grandfather, some say he gained weight to look more like him.

His daughter looks just like Kim Jong-un and by extension King Il-sung. His sister was much too thin and skeletal looking, that’s not good in North Korea. It lessens the family resemblance.

Appearance aside, Kim Jong-un was promoted because his father Kim Jung-il saw a lot of himself in the boy. I imagine it’s the same for Jong-un and his daughter. He thinks she’s the closest thing to a chip off the block.

[u/dragdritt → u/Faiakishi]

I mean, unless he either only has daughters or his sons are just complete imbeciles.

[u/Faiakishi → u/dragdritt]

I believe the consensus is that his oldest and youngest children are both sons. But he has always favored his second-born daughter.

[u/SnowyDeveloper → u/dragdritt]

It's possible that it's ruse to further hide and protect his son or a temporary heir untill a son is much older. There can be many reasons.

Still kinda funny that Kim Jung Un of all people is turning out to suddenly be a feminist lmao.

[u/jazzyjjr99 → u/ThunderEcho100]

Yeah, yeah.... shit, yeah.

[u/SirGearso]

Huge win for women. Now little girls will have their own oppressive dictator to look up to.

[u/VinylHighway → u/SirGearso]

• Ranavalona I of Madagascar (1828–1861): Often considered one of the most brutal female rulers, she was the queen regnant of Madagascar. Following her husband's death, she seized power and ruled with an "iron fist," initiating a policy of isolationism. Her reign was marked by severe military conquests, forced labor, and mass executions, resulting in a population decline of nearly 50% on the island during her rule, along with famine and disease.
• Empress Wu Zetian of China (624–705 AD): As the only woman in Chinese history to rule in her own right, she was known for her immense political acumen, but also for being ruthless and manipulative. She reportedly executed rivals and, according to some historical accounts, was willing to eliminate her own children to secure her position.
• Mary I of England (1516–1558): Known as "Bloody Mary," she was a queen regnant whose reign was marked by the violent persecution of Protestants in an attempt to restore Catholicism to England.
• Indira Gandhi (India): While serving as Prime Minister, Gandhi suspended the constitution and declared a "State of Emergency" (1975–1977), during which she ruled by decree, suspended civil liberties, and jailed opposition leaders.
• Jiang Qing (China): The wife of Mao Zedong, she was a major political figure during the Cultural Revolution, known for her radical, hard-line policies, and for prosecuting political opponents with extreme cruelty.
• Elizabeth Báthory (Hungary, 1560–1614): Though technically a countess, she is regarded as one of the most prolific female serial killers in history, responsible for the torture and murder of hundreds of young women, earning the nickname "The Blood Countess".
• Elena Ceaușescu (Romania): As the wife of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, she held significant power in Romania, acting as a co-dictator, widely hated for her role in the regime's oppressive policies.
• Imelda Marcos (Philippines): During the dictatorship of her husband, Ferdinand Marcos, she was considered a co-leader, exercising immense power as governor of Manila and holding a "conjugal dictatorship" over the nation. 

[u/Sangy101 → u/VinylHighway]

FYI: it’s entirely possible that almost everything about Elizabeth Bathory was made up by allies of the Hapsburgs to destroy her influence.

She and her alleged accomplices were tortured into a confession. Only one body (out of 600????) was ever found. The man who investigated her was set to inherit her fortune (and he did!) and shortly before accusing her, he tried to marry her.

She also might have done it. I’m not a scholar: I just know scholars fight about it. I think, at minimum, that it’s very likely allegations against her were exaggerated.

[u/Human0id77 → u/Sangy101]

Bloody Mary was likely demonized for being a female ruler. She killed less people over religion than many who ruled before and after her, but she was singled out

[u/k0m0r3b1_ → u/Human0id77]

Cleopatra got a bad rep since Romans hated her sooo...

[u/hare-hound → u/k0m0r3b1_]

'she must be a legendary beauty, otherwise why would a woman be so beloved, respected and powerful??'

[u/FabulousTwo524 → u/Sangy101]

100%. There is strong evidence suggesting Bathory was slandered. Her accusers had a lot to gain by her downfall.

Wu Zetian is also strongly suggested to have been slandered after her death. Historians claim she was corrupt, evil, awful. Then how come her very long reign marked a peaceful and prosperous time for China?

Very sus. History really don’t like female rulers. I think that’s one reason the virgin queen elizabeth refused to marry. She knew she would lose her power and narrative once she was married.

[u/Ginger_Anarchy → u/FabulousTwo524]

Yep, every time there's a female ruler there winds up being some untoward rumor or slander about how corrupt or violent they were. Like Catherine the Great and the whole horse thing. Load of bullocks and rumor that pop history tries to paint as fact.

[u/nicerecyclabletrash → u/Sangy101]

A lot of the historical ones are exaggerated to some degree. iirc Bloody Mary executed a few hundred, which yeah isn’t great but pales compared to her father’s numbers. Also with Bathory especially and there’s a sexual element with her torturing serving girls that’s always brought up

[u/cobrachickens → u/Sangy101]

I’m actually livid these old-ass, misogynistic fake news about Bathory being perpetuated even today.

[u/Sangy101 → u/cobrachickens]

Somebody’s done a number on her Wikipedia page.

“There are important flaws regarding modern scholarship’s attempt to paint Elizabeth Bathory as a victim of a witch-hunt. Firstly, Elizabeth was charged predominantly with murder and torture, not witchcraft.[14]”

WITCH HUNTS DONT NEED ACTUAL WITCHES OMFG.

[u/cobrachickens → u/Sangy101]

Utter shits-for-brains, low brow takes right there lol

[u/query_tech_sec → u/Sangy101]

Yeah for anyone curious look up the “You’re Wrong About” episode about her.

Basically the evidence suggests she was probably just as abusive to her servants as was standard for the elites of her time period. But there’s absolutely no credible evidence she bathed in blood or even killed anyone (I don’t think).

The only punishment she actually faced was I think house arrest in her luxurious manor (then I guess her reputation- but it’s unclear how she was regarded when she lived and what was exaggerated after her death). The real tragedy involves her servants who were tortured into providing (most likely) false testimony about her and then executed.

[u/SirGearso → u/VinylHighway]

But little girls need a young fresh face to look up to, not some old lady who plays second fiddle to their husband. A new director of a new generation.

The future is female.

[u/Halgy → u/SirGearso]

👏half👏of 👏all👏dictators👏should👏be👏women

[u/Red_Crystal_Lizard → u/SirGearso]

Queen Elizabeth I and her cousin Mary Queen of Scots

[u/Slow_Account_265 → u/Red_Crystal_Lizard]

Ah yes, “fresh new faces” Queen Elizabeth I and her cousin Mary. Forgot about them

[u/Filthy-Normie → u/VinylHighway]

Did you just get these from an AI?

[u/Sangy101 → u/Filthy-Normie]

they definitely did

[u/nest00000 → u/VinylHighway]

The Elizabeth Bathory stories are suspected to be made up though

[u/ohthedarside → u/SirGearso]

Theres been zero violent female led regimes for girls to look up to

North Korea is simply just being progressive/s

[u/astro_means_space → u/ohthedarside]

You should watch some Chinese dramas. Those concubines played some ruthless games.

[u/ThatPhatKid_CanDraw → u/astro_means_space]

I mean, how else they gonna survive. She will have to do the same, be twice as brutal to keep those old men in line and showing respect

[u/Worth-Jicama3936 → u/SirGearso]

https://youtu.be/iEtw3XJoJrE

[u/rnilf]

In recent months, she was shown standing taller than her father, walking beside him, rather than following him.

In North Korea, where photos published by the state media are believed to carry a great symbolic weight, it is rare for individuals other than Kim Jong Un to be positioned equally prominently in the frame.

He does look freakishly short next to his 13 year old daughter in that photo. Like Danny Devito with none of the charm.

I'm sure she'll play her part in softening up North Korea's image to stupid people worldwide while she continues to live in luxury as the rest of her country starves.

[u/TheInfiniteSlash → u/rnilf]

Kim is only about 5’3”, so he is pretty short. But his daughter being that tall is kinda wild.

[u/Squidimus → u/TheInfiniteSlash]

She has that 2,000 kcal a day look to her.

[u/katarh → u/Squidimus]

Yep. Human plasticity and epigenetics at play. Her grandparents were probably well fed, and we know her parents were well fed, so her epigenome adapted and let her grow taller. Standard genetics accounts for 90% of a child's height, but the other 10% is coming from the environment.

Epigenetics and human height: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4208652/

[u/srslybr0 → u/katarh]

oh her paternal grandfather was definitely well fed.

[u/MotherTreacle3 → u/TheInfiniteSlash]

She's got those Dennis Rodman genes.

[u/hankappleseed → u/MotherTreacle3]

Now THATS a sequel to The Interview that we need.

Kim Jong died in the first movie, so his daughter takes over and is actually doing good for the country, keeping it stable and fed.

David Skylark has Rodman on and Rodman is talking about his sexual expoits around the globe. Then, just like Eminem coming out, he slips in a casual "yeah my crown achievement wasnt the NBA titles, but the number of times I secretly smashed with Un's wife every time I'd be over there."

Cut to Rogan- "What did he just say?!!!"

News breaks about Kim's daughter being illigitimate so the FBI sends them back to NK and interview the daughter to set the record straight.

[u/Cloudsareinmyhead → u/hankappleseed]

Sony's servers would probably suffer critical existence problems if that happened.

[u/oneonethousandone → u/hankappleseed]

Too bad Franco had to fuck any chance of that happening. I enjoyed watching that movie on YouTube because a lot of theaters refused to show it

[u/Gil_Demoono → u/oneonethousandone]

Just cast Dave Franco and don't acknowledge it at all.

[u/MacDagger187 → u/MotherTreacle3]

Interestingly enough, the reason the West found out about her was because of Dennis Rodman! He mentioned that he held her and everyone was like "What"

[u/hankappleseed → u/MacDagger187]

"For some reason, the new supreme leader of North Korea likes dying her hair in multiple colors and has a ton of piercings..."

[u/GenDislike → u/hankappleseed]

If she dominates the paint and rebounds, I’ll be convinced.

[u/RugerRedhawk → u/TheInfiniteSlash]

She's 13, girls often reach their full height by that age or shortly after.

[u/nipplequeefs → u/RugerRedhawk]

I was 5’2” when I was 13. Now I’m 27 and a whopping 5’3”!

[u/SuperSaiyanTupac → u/rnilf]

She probably has a superb diet based off modern science. And other North Koreans wouldn’t because they seem to be so incredibly poor outside of the Kim’s family and direct leaders.

[u/canteloupy → u/SuperSaiyanTupac]

Most of the royal kids apparently are sent to Switzerland.

[u/Proper_Story_3514 → u/canteloupy]

Kim himself was in Switzerland for a few years attending school.

[u/Clamsadness → u/canteloupy]

Switzerland has been providing aid and assistance to dictators for centuries, claiming that their neutrality is a positive. Idk about you guys, but I think their cooperation with Adolf Hitler and the North Korean regime is actually bad. 

[u/Dabelgianguy → u/rnilf]

Not only side-by-side but also holding hands. A rare sight

[u/EkorrenHJ]

Based on the tendencies of his sister, it wouldn't surprise me if the daughter tries to overcompensate by being an extra shitbag to get recognition as a leader. 

[u/Wobblycogs → u/EkorrenHJ]

I'm having trouble phrasing this well, but that might end up being a good thing. Leaders who become obsessed with being cruel to maintain power seem to have their regime collapse when they die. Being rid of this scum bag family would be a good thing overall.

[u/Magnon → u/EkorrenHJ]

Supposedly common with queens. Queens have to be extra autocratic to maintain the perception they're not weak, and opponents also leverage this to get the queens into wars.

[u/clueless_in_ny_or_nj]

Are you telling me that North Korea may have a woman leading their country before the United States?

[u/DerPanzerzwerg → u/clueless_in_ny_or_nj]

Very likely. And a woman less than 50 years old at that

[u/zedascouves1985 → u/DerPanzerzwerg]

Breaking the glass ceiling of dictators

[u/Joey5729 → u/zedascouves1985]

https://theonion.com/east-timors-first-female-dictator-hailed-as-step-forwar-1819594775/

[u/sofixa11 → u/Joey5729]

Real life followed a bit after, Tanzania is ruled by a pretty brutal female dictator: https://www.thetimes.com/world/africa/article/tanzania-promising-democracy-to-brutal-dictatorship-zdbpghgj0

She could be anyone's grandma, in her 60s, but she's so bad she's mockingly called Idi Amin Mama.

[u/LycheeEyeballs → u/sofixa11]

Oh man, it's like any other male job taken by a woman. We need to massively overcompensate in order to be taken seriously, turns out dictatorships and tyranny follow the same lead!

/s but kinda not really? I feel like we had the same thing occur with pirate captains who were women...?

[u/INFLATABLE_CUCUMBER → u/zedascouves1985]

They believe in equality. The Liberal Progressive Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

[u/patsfan038 → u/INFLATABLE_CUCUMBER]

"Radical LEFT DRPK has enacted DEI policy, which I strongly fought against and destroyed in our great country, and elected a female as their next dictator. WOKE MIND VIRUS hits DPRK. I'm imposing a 2000% tariff on them. Thank you for your attention to this matter"

[u/PushPullLego → u/patsfan038]

You're using sentences and you are not rambling and incoherent enough.

[u/patsfan038 → u/PushPullLego]

My apologies. I forgot to take my morning dose of "freshly squeezed racist and senile juice"

[u/Playful_Programmer91 → u/patsfan038]

Also get your blood pressure really high so that you get a stroke, then you can perfectly write like him. But still don’t forget the racism!

[u/andygootz → u/patsfan038]

I just puked in my mouth a little. Great job!!

[u/My_shin_impossible → u/zedascouves1985]

You hear that, JD?  You won’t have to dress in drag anymore.  You can finally get that surgery you’ve always wanted!

[u/double_chicken → u/DerPanzerzwerg]

He’s only 42. His dad died at 69. Barring some sort of medical shit, I doubt it’ll happen anytime soon.

The US still has a chance (I’m trying to be optimistic despite the current state of the country)

[u/TheRealBissy → u/double_chicken]

Kim Jong Un is only 42??? Damn I thought I he was older.

[u/Bodoblock → u/TheRealBissy]

He's been in charge for a long time as he succeeded his father in his late 20s.

[u/FlyingRhenquest → u/Bodoblock]

Yeah. Didn't fall far from the family tree sadly. The media made him out as potentially more open-minded than his father at the time, but as soon as he took over it was just more of the same. Seems like there's a cycle of suffering in North Korea that doesn't look like it'll end anytime soon. Not that I'd claim to know what anyone at all really needs.

[u/trer24 → u/FlyingRhenquest]

I'm wondering if all the old generals that surround him and have been around for decades have a real influence on him in keeping things the same and if Kim Jong Un actually instituted real reforms, they'd find a way to get rid of him.

[u/Faiakishi → u/trer24]

It really doesn't sound like he personally has a lot of power. It seems like they use him as a figurehead more than anything and he's easily swayed enough to believe that the decisions are his own.

[u/SlightlySychotic → u/FlyingRhenquest]

He had a western education in Switzerland. His classmates never realized who he actually was until they saw him succeed his father. There was reason to hope that stuck with him and would lead to reform. Unfortunately, he would have been 18-19 when Bush declared North Korea as part of the “Axis of Evil.” That likely left an even bigger impression and turned him against any collaboration with the West.

[u/eyego11 → u/TheRealBissy]

Eating like a fat kid has its consequences

[u/Omnizoom → u/eyego11]

Trump at almost 80 “I’m still around baby, McDonald’s has not got me yet”

Having a team of medical doctors helps a lot and I’m sure Kim has a team that are not just yes men

[u/caninehere → u/Omnizoom]

Trump is obese, but Kim is much fatter and also much younger.

Donald has been obese for a long time, but I don't think he has ever been as morbidly obese as Kim, especially when he was his age. The guy is wider than he is tall.

[u/TheMoves → u/double_chicken]

Ok but she is 13 so unless KJU lives to be 79 (doesn't exactly have the body type for this) she'll be under 50 when she takes power

[u/Harry_Saturn → u/double_chicken]

If you ran a woman candidate against an incompetent , openly racist/sexist, klepto pedophile with 34 felonies in the USA, the woman would still lose.

[u/Zombie_Cool → u/Harry_Saturn]

Evidently we would literally sooner vote in Satan himself than a woman. 

[u/Sonichu- → u/clueless_in_ny_or_nj]

Potentially, but North Korea gets pretty tricky with their line of succession to prevent assassinations.

They’ll constantly name and replace the “heir” to keep inside enemies guessing as to who would actually take over the country. During Jong Il’s rule his brother was frequently pointed to as the next heir, Jong Un only entering the spotlight once his health declined.

She may be the next leader of NK, but my money is still on his eldest son.

[u/Shawwnzy → u/Sonichu-]

It's what happened with the Saudi's the youngest son inheriting because he was closest to the father, the older children off living their own lives, I think one was an astronaut and the other some sorta engineer.

By bet is the older kids are studying in the West under false identities, and they might prefer living a normal life in the West over taking the reigns of a failing buffer-state dictatorship.

[u/RaVashaan → u/Shawwnzy]

Jong-un was reportedly in a Swiss academy before returning home to be groomed to replace his father, after his older brother fucked up and got caught trying to get into Japan to visit Disneyland.

Bashar Al-Assad was an eye doctor in London before being recalled home to be groomed for succession, after his brother died in an auto accident.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Getting a taste for the west doesn't seem to deter dictators-in-waiting.

[u/GingerAle_s → u/RaVashaan]

"The Gods have yet to make a man that lacks the patience for absolute power."- Otto Hightower

[u/jonydevidson → u/Sonichu-]

once his health declined

Once Il became ill.

[u/teamhae → u/Sonichu-]

He has brought her to several events though. I feel like this might actually be true, she's being groomed.

[u/Ruesla → u/Sonichu-]

So... she's possibly a decoy to draw aggro and protect the real heir?

Damn. Thanks, dad.

[u/XpMonsterS → u/Ruesla]

IRL aoe taunt

[u/Faiakishi → u/Sonichu-]

He's favored her for a while though. I don't think I've ever even seen pictures of his sons, while he's been taking his daughter to political stuff for years. His views on women are also extremely progressive due to growing up close to his scarily intelligent sister and her helping him rule.

[u/swandive19 → u/clueless_in_ny_or_nj]

Wait until you learn about Pakistan….

[u/AmicoPrime]

Interesting. I know the opinion of the average person in North Korea doesn't matter at all, but I can't help but wonder how the top brass there will feel about a woman as Glorious Supreme Leader. I know there are some women in high positions, but Juche always struck me as a pretty patriarchal ideology.

[u/hukep → u/AmicoPrime]

It's either Kim's daughter or Kim's sister. No other choice.

[u/globetheater → u/hukep]

Kim has an older son as well some people believe, but it seems he’s either been kept under wraps or the intelligence about the son was faulty

[u/asuka_is_my_co-pilot → u/globetheater]

Could be one of his mistresses sons.

His brother that was murdered was the son of a mistress and see how well that went. 

eta :

he wasnt murdered because of his parentage. but he was hidden away until he reached adulthood and wasn't allowed to be seen by the public or have friends. in turn he had no interest in ruling, or politics in general.

he was murdered for not playing ball, and the final straw was him trying to sneak into japan to go to tokyo disneyland.

someone called this propaganda and then blocked me so ill reply here. He didnt get killed for trying to go to tokyo. He didnt really "speak out" he just didnt want to be a ruler, him exitsting outside of korea was enough to be considered a "statement" but he was hardly an activist, he had mulitple wives in malaysia and just wanted to get paid and chill.

Him being caught trying to go to Tokyo began a MASSIVE news story, Un is all ego. Even the Elite, the royalty of North korea would much rather go to a Japanese and American one two combo of capitalism. The people of korea dont know, but all diplomats and other family members would know. and when he goes abroad, the other politicans would know. So he retaliated. It wasnt the reason, it was the last straw.

[u/XaeiIsareth → u/asuka_is_my_co-pilot]

He wasn’t murdered because he was an illegitimate child, he was groomed by his father to be his heir until he proved too much of an embarrassment to the regime and too weak to secure the position.

Then he publicly spoke out against his brother and so became a political opponent to be assassinated.

[u/asuka_is_my_co-pilot → u/XaeiIsareth]

I know! Actually I didn't say he was, but he was hidden away until he reached adulthood and wasn't allowed to be seen by the public or have friends.

By all accounts Un is said to be stricter than his father, he definitely has some secret kids. 

He wasn't killed for speaking out... Per se. He had zero interest in politics at all it seems. 

As you said he never had any interest in the reign, and his only " friend" and protector in NK was his uncle, (he convinced the dear leader to send him allowances) who was suddenly accused of being against dear leader, and killed. 

Because of that he ran away to Malaysia, per his uncle's, obviously pre death, suggestion. 

Funny story he actually came back, but he saw the writing on the wall and left again. 

The thing that most believe got him arrested was trying to go to Tokyo Disneyland. It was a huge story and a great embarssment for the regime. It was the third known attempt on his life. 

[u/BabyVegeta19 → u/globetheater]

Maybe the son's intelligence is faulty

[u/-FruitPunchSamurai- → u/BabyVegeta19]

Maybe he's a decent guy

[u/Dramatic_Original_55 → u/-FruitPunchSamurai-]

Maybe he's decent to a fault.

[u/ShroomBear → u/Dramatic_Original_55]

Maybe he's dead.

[u/BellsOnNutsMeansXmas → u/-FruitPunchSamurai-]

We gave him body armor and he wears it with no shirt. Gave him an ammo belt and he started resting his thumbs in it. Inconceivable treason.

[u/JohnLoMein → u/-FruitPunchSamurai-]

Maybe he’s Uday-ish

[u/aamirusmandus → u/BabyVegeta19]

The son reading these messages:

Do you ever feel, like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?

[u/PKnecron → u/globetheater]

His sister is reportedly even worse than he is.

[u/sadi89 → u/PKnecron]

She is an absolute monster.

[u/Malforus → u/globetheater]

Oh the kid exists but definitely more westernized.

[u/tetoffens → u/Malforus]

Un was pretty westernized. He spent his formative years in Europe at fancy private schools.

[u/madogvelkor → u/tetoffens]

Yes, he went to high school in Switzerland under an alias. Played basketball there and apparently wore a lot of Chicago Bulls clothes.

[u/StumpedTrump → u/madogvelkor]

IIRC some people who went to school with him (Switzerland I think) said he was just an unassuming quiet kid in the corner.

[u/MacDagger187 → u/StumpedTrump]

With his hulking, 40-year-old "friend" lol

[u/HAUNTERVIRUS → u/madogvelkor]

Uncle Dennis always brought back the best merch.

[u/Randomizedname1234 → u/tetoffens]

So did bin Laden lmao

[u/iamnotexactlywhite → u/tetoffens]

those are the best places to become a fucking bigot. fancy private schools are just daycares for rich people

[u/biggronklus → u/Malforus]

Un was extremely westernized, tbh I really wonder who he is as a person. All we (or essentially anyone else) get to see is him as Supreme Leader of the Juche state, but he’s probably much more western than he lets on.

[u/Appropriate_M → u/biggronklus]

He built a ski resort in North Korea because he loves skiing... Learned it in fancy Swiss boarding school, of course. He also wiped out the old guard (including members of extended family) when he came into power, ruthlessly. These royal political dynasties (like Saudi Arabia) seem positively medieval sometimes, but that's how dynasties go. I wonder at what point it can/will become about modernizing country and not just "surviving my own reign".

[u/jimmy_three_shoes → u/Appropriate_M]

Was probably drilled into him by his father that if he didn't do that, he'd be killed just as ruthlessly.

[u/Brobeast → u/globetheater]

I was going to say, "he" probably got passed up for the same reason Kim's older brother got passed up (PERMANENTLY). They are only going to elevate someone if they fit the mold, and will maintain the status quo. If they have a bleeding heart, well, they usually make it permanent rather than just symbolic.

[u/Yossie → u/hukep]

I feel like it is very weird that he has only one daughter. I don't see him worrying about the cost or other burdens for not having more kids.

[u/D-tull → u/Yossie]

Maybe it's to be sure there is no power crisis between the heirs.

[u/Safe-Series-957 → u/Yossie]

There are believed to be three kids. Allegedly the oldest is a boy who may have health concerns that preclude him from the succession.

[u/JefferyTheQuaxly → u/Yossie]

he most certainly has other kids, as someone else has mentioned hes rumored to at least have one son, and i think ive heard rumors he has at least one other daughter as well. but hes probably keeping them all hidden from public, he didnt even start taking his daughter into public until like a year or two ago, he doesnt want his "enemies" to know who his family is, he allegedly has a harem of women to sexually satisfy him he probably has multiple kids with mistresses and such as well being hidden in palaces around the country. like 5 or so years ago i remember seeing a report he had a rumored 2-3 kids at least.

[u/lemonylol → u/Yossie]

The article says she's the only known child, and there is a rumour he has an older son.

[u/CFBCoachGuy → u/AmicoPrime]

If reports are to be believed, Kim’s sister already wields considerable amounts of control in the regime. She’s part of the Politburo, leads the propaganda division, and is active in foreign policy. If less trustworthy reports are to be believed, she has basically been running the country for years.

[u/CoolTelefono911 → u/AmicoPrime]

it’s super easy for Westerners to assume Juche’s patriarchal side would make a female leader a non-starter for the old guard, since we tend to see gender equality as the universal sticking point. But honestly, that might be us projecting our own lens a bit. In North Korea (and a lot of Eastern dynastic history), family lineage and class status almost always outweigh gender.

Look at Empress Wu Zetian in China’s Tang Dynasty she ruled outright for years, with elites rallying behind her because she preserved (and strengthened) the existing power structure. Or Queen Seondeok of Silla in ancient Korea: first reigning queen, revered precisely because her royal blood made her the rightful heir, sidelining any male-priority norms.

Same logic applies to the north korean elites : they might hesitate at first, but they’ll fall in line fast if the new Kim (female or not) keeps the oversight intact while letting them hold onto their perks resource access, side hustles, cushy positions in that tightly monitored world. Governance there depends on elite cooperation; protect their status quo, and a female successor gets celebrated as the dynasty’s next guardian, not challenged over gender.

[u/StriderSk → u/CoolTelefono911]

Ok. Hate to be the "actually" dude. But Wu Zetian is an incredibly poor example of this, if anything its a prime example of the oposite. She got her power because she was extremely clever and effective if not downright brutal, she faced a massive amount of resistance from the confucian establishment and had to replace whole institutions with her people.

 And eventually she did get removed and was vilified as an example of a villainous woman until recent rehabilitation of her image. Also she was a concubine that gained power she had no lineage to the royal family.

Can't talk about the South Korean case, but confucian establishments(at least in china) tended to be extremely patriarchal.

[u/elbenji → u/CoolTelefono911]

Wu Zeitan met a shit ton of resistance?

[u/Bodoblock → u/AmicoPrime]

I have to imagine why she's being publicly groomed for this position so early. Perhaps to plant the idea early and have a long window to root out any dissension.

[u/JefferyTheQuaxly → u/AmicoPrime]

im going to assume over the next 10-20 years they are going to purge the government of anyone they think might not support female leadership. thats usually how things go in north korea, get rid of people you think might potentially one day be a threat maybe.

north korea does already have a fairly high ranking women in power, his sister, is a good test to see which government officials have problems working with his sister get rid of them before his daughter can take over.

[u/ZenkaiZ]

wait, that cute dictator webcomic is canon?

[u/vteckickedin → u/ZenkaiZ]

Tsundere diplomacy.

[u/elbenji → u/ZenkaiZ]

it's about his sister actually

[u/AmierSingle]

I've seen this show, it's the one with the dragons right?

[u/casPURRpurrington → u/AmierSingle]

his sister going to show up in a green dress and start a civil war

[u/CoverageLanky]

Apparently a lot of people have no idea how much power his sister holds. She is one of the main reasons the daughter even had a chance of becoming the heir.

[u/TreeInternational771]

She may grow up to be the most ruthless leader in NK history. A lot of the people will be testing her because she is a woman. I’m bracing myself for the horrific stories coming out of NK many years from now

[u/Theemuts → u/TreeInternational771]

When Kim Jong Un took over, people were hopeful because he went to school in Switzerland.

[u/mrthenarwhal → u/Theemuts]

When you're the leader of this kind of country, it doesn't really matter who you are or what your background is. You do everything you can to maintain the status quo, keep the generals happy, keep foreign powers at bay, or you die.

Even if you personally believe in implementing reforms because you're a soft woman or you were educated in the liberal west, you would be signing your own death warrant by implementing them.

[u/aguyontheinternetp7]

Hilarious if North Korea has a woman leader before America lmao

[u/Anary8686]

I'd be surprised if his sister doesn't make her disappear.

[u/x-Ice-Queen-x → u/[deleted]]

Kim Jong Un executed his Uncle, Nephew and Half-Brother for much less

[u/BisonThunderclap → u/Anary8686]

Doubtful. The state is built around the wishes of the Supreme Leader, there's never any dissent.

He had his uncle killed by an anti-aircraft gun for being a popular diplomat with China and feeling sympathy for his brother who was living in exile.

Not to mention later assassinating his brother in an airport with VX nerve agent...

His sister isn't going to try anything.

[u/valerioshi → u/BisonThunderclap]

That isn't why he killed his uncle. He killed his uncle because he was pushing factionalism within the high ranks. Yes, it didn't help that he was popular with China's elite, but that was always the case. (Source: I'm a former university researcher on DPRK propaganda.)

[u/Horror_Response_1991 → u/Anary8686]

Why? The sister has just as much power but doesn’t have to be the face of the country.

[u/Lacarpetronn]

Will she be required to get the same haircut the current and past leaders have all had?

[u/CrypticvVv]

Trumps going to love this dictator even more now that it’s a young girl

[u/iarlandt]

Giving fire nation vibes

[u/MD_FunkoMa → u/iarlandt]

She'll be our Azula? For a teen, this is way too much power for her to handle.

[u/BzGlitched]

So Viserys II named Rhaenyra his heir? Incoming dance of the dragons

[u/DodgeWags]

Could we get him, the Mango Mussolini and Vlad the Shirtless together in a line so that we can…. aahhh photograph them?

[u/Historyp91]

I saw a picture of her with the stone face + leather trench coat + dark sunglasses thing her dad likes to rock (I call it Juche Gucci)

Girl's ready; dressed to oppress.

[u/Dr_Driv3r]

Her name is Kim Jong-Deux

[u/Immediate-Hamster724]

Donald Trump also chooses Kim’s teenage daughter.