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‘Like Gods Reigning over Humans’: Many Defectors See Daughter of North Korea's Kim as Heir Apparent
South Korea’s spy agency says 8 of 11 defectors interviewed by The Associated Press think Kim Ju Ae is the likely successor.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has repeatedly appeared in public with his daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae, over the past four years, fueling speculation that he is grooming the 13-year-old as his successor.
- South Korea's spy agency recently assessed the girl as the likely heir, as Kim seeks to extend his family's rule into a fourth generation following previous successions in 1994 and 2011.
- While some defectors doubt the North's deeply patriarchal culture would accept a female leader, others argue members of the Kim family are viewed as gods, making gender irrelevant to their authority.
- Analysts and defectors agree North Koreans will passively accept the hereditary succession, as the country's pervasive surveillance apparatus prevents public dissent against the regime.
- Observers note Kim, 42, remains severely obese and at high risk of cardiovascular disease, likely prompting him to accelerate preparing his daughter to ensure his family's continued control.
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14 Articles
14 Articles
The Toronto Star+3 Reposted by 3 other sources
‘Like gods reigning over humans’: Many defectors see daughter of North Korea’s Kim as heir apparent
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Until she fled North Korea three years ago, Kim Yumi felt deeply frustrated whenever state TV showed leader Kim Jong Un with his young daughter.
·Toronto, Canada
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Winnipeg Free Press+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
‘Like gods reigning over humans’: Many defectors see daughter of North Korea's Kim as heir apparent
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Until she fled North Korea three years ago, Kim Yumi felt deeply frustrated whenever state TV showed leader Kim Jong Un with his young daughter. The message, she felt, was clear and worrying: North Korea was laying the groundwork for an eventual hereditary transfer of power, this time to Kim's daughter.
·Winnipeg, Canada
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left8Leaning Right1Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Left
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources lean Left
57% Left
L 57%
C 36%
Factuality
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