His name is Kim Jong-Un and he’s one of the most feared, most ruthless dictators of our time. The controversial 41-year-old Supreme Leader of North Korea, Jong-Un is the son of Kim Jong-il, who ruled from 1994 to 2011, and grandson of Kim Il-sung, who was the founder and first supreme leader of North Korea from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994.
North Korea’s current dictator has a lavish lifestyle and rules with an iron fist while most of his people live at a level of poverty FAR worse than any homeless American could imagine.
Since Kim Jong-Un took over the reins in North Korea, there has been a rapid increase in the country’s nuclear weapons development and missile testing. From 2013 to 2018, they tested over 90 missiles, a threefold increase compared to previous regimes. Furthermore, they conducted major nuclear tests in 2013, 2016, and 2017.
And while the decades-long, strict United Nations-imposed sanctions on North Korea were intended to curtail their nuclear expansion, all they’ve done is ravage the people there and devastate the economy. But militarily, his nuclear defense policies have worked thus far as the United States and NATO have been powerless in stopping the growth and enhancement of his nuclear arsenal.
Given North Korean leaders have supreme control, it’s believed their dictator can launch a nuclear attack wherever and whenever they choose and doesn’t have processes in place to allow cooler heads to prevail, unlike the other nuclear nations. Even Russia’s Vladimir Putin needs two generals to sign off.
With North Korean dictators wielding so much power, the topic of Kim Jong-Un’s successor is always top-of-mind for the rest of the world.
Enter Kim Ju Ae, the dictator’s 9 or 10-year-old daughter.
Is she heir to the Kim dynasty?
Perhaps Kim Jong-Un’s presence with his daughter at two significant military events this week sent two messages to the rest of the world – a) his family will remain in power over North Korea and b) they will continue to possess and upgrade their nuclear weapons program to ensure no one can overthrow them.
Earlier this week, Kim Jong-Un and his wife were seen at a grand reception in Pyongyang which was attended by their daughter, Ju Ae. And the following day, the girl attended a military parade showcasing at least 11 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
Rumors began to swirl about Ju Ae being Kim’s potential successor in November when photographs were released of her and the North Korean leader inspecting a ballistic missile prior to the test launch.
It’s not yet known if Ju Ae entirely understood what she was looking at.
Kim’s father and grandfather introduced their successors as youngsters so some believe Kim Jong-Un has started that process.
“It is known that Kim Jong Il told his aides that Kim Jong Un would be his successor while performing a song called ‘Footsteps’ to praise Kim Jong Un on his 8th birthday,” said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, via CNN.
“The beginning of this personality cult for Kim Ju Ae suggests that even though she has not yet (been given) the status of an official successor … she is de facto designated successor,” Cheong added.
She looks so sweet and innocent, it’s hard to imagine her ruling with the same cutthroat (literally) mentality as her father and North Korea’s previous dictators. That stated, Jong-Un probably looked harmless at nine too.
Rest assured, if she is the chosen successor, she’ll be groomed to be harsh.
Really harsh.
Not surprisingly, she already outranks most of North Korea’s top generals, according to CNN,
Should the elder Kim pass away while Ju Ae is still a minor, it’s not known who’d take over. Many surmise Un’s stern, no-nonsense sister, Kim Yo-jong, would succeed her brother.
