North Korean escapee reveals what 'world's most dangerous 13-year-old' tipped as Kim Jong-Un's heir is like
A North Korean escapee who now resides in Seoul has detailed what the 'world's most dangerous 13-year-old' tipped to replace Kim Jong-Un is really like.
Jong-Un's daughter, Kim Ju Ae, is one possible heir. She is believed to be 13 and has appeared publicly with her father in recent years, including at military events.
Earlier this year, she observed sea trials of a new warship alongside her father.
Kim Yumi fled North Korea three years ago as she began to worry the current North Korean leader was laying the groundwork for the dictatorship to continue under his teenage daughter.
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"My husband and I didn’t want our children to live under a fourth-generation dictatorship. As parents, we thought the best thing we could do for our children was to give them freedom," Yumi, 32 told the Associated Press.
North Korea harshly punishes attempts by anyone to flee the country, with three generations of the Kim family ruling the country for the past three generations.
The Associated Press also spoke with Tae Yongho, an ex minister at North Korea’s Embassy in London who defected to South Korea, who claimed North Korea is already prepping for Kim Ju Ae to take over.
"During her visits to missile launch sites and factories, the way senior North Korean officials treat Kim Ju Ae involves protocols reserved for a successor, not the ones simply for a daughter of Kim Jong Un," Yongho told AP.
"They are repeating the same protocol and treatment they provided for Kim Jong Un."
The former North Korea embassy worker added: "It's a wretched reality that unchecked power in an absolute monarchy is being passed down to a fourth generation in the 21st century.
"North Korea will likely fall further behind the outside world if it has a fourth-generation power succession."
Tae went on to claim many North Koreans are unhappy to see the president's daughter presence in the public eye, with her adding: "People would now think Ju Ae would become their monarch.
"They wouldn't know whether her clothes are designer brands but they think she can wear them because she's the daughter [of the supreme leader]."
Topics: North Korea, Kim Jong-un, World News
Callum Jones
