Kim Jong Un chooses teen daughter as heir, says Seoul

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

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has selected his daughter as his heir, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday.

Kim Ju Ae - who is believed to be 13 - has in recent months been pictured beside her father in high-profile events like a visit to Beijing in September, her first known trip abroad.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it took a "range of circumstances" into account including her increasingly prominent public presence at official events" in making this assessment.

351 points · 91 comments · view on lemmy.world

91 Comments

Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works · 147 pts · 197d (8 replies)

Diversity win! This up and coming dictator is a young woman!

Witchfire@lemmy.world · 47 pts · 196d (1 reply)

More šŸ‘šŸ¼ female šŸ‘šŸ¼ dictators šŸ‘šŸ¼

- Neoliberals, probably

murvel@feddit.nu · 14 pts · 196d

Try tankies

Geobloke@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 197d (2 replies)

Can we call her a minority?

Agent641@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 197d

You can, but she might have you shot for it

P00ptart@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 195d

Worldwide Asians are a majority.

Jumuta@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 197d (1 reply)
Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 197d
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Chippys_mittens@lemmy.world · 103 pts · 197d (11 replies)
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otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 30 pts · 197d (7 replies)

As she's then effectively getting in line, would that be a coup queue? Seems to track for NoKo. 🤪

Kinda makes me wish one of them thought screaming was singing, then we could dub them "NoKo Oh-No".

FWIW, the other thread I was fiddling with mentally was re: the term "chuffed" and its implied verb "to chuff" to create this headline: "Coup queue for NoKo chuff" 🤣

thenextguy@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 197d (4 replies)

I hope she doesn’t get a cold, otherwise that would be a ā€˜coup queue cachoo’.

Grass@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 197d (3 replies)

I am the walrus?

egrets@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 197d (1 reply)

Sorry, we've already assigned you the role of eggman.

otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 197d

I call the mighty Quin. šŸ¤˜šŸ»

Hazmatastic@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 196d

Shut the fuck up, Donny

meejle@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 197d (1 reply)

Queoup

otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 197d

If the "p" is silent, is it also a homonym?

gigachad@piefed.social · 11 pts · 197d

Or she is going to get executed

UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 197d

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it took a ā€œrange of circumstancesā€ into account including her increasingly prominent public presence at official events" in making this assessment.

Coup what shit? This speculation seven layers deep.

ameancow@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 196d
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ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world · 60 pts · 197d (3 replies)

Well there goes the legacy of terrible haircuts. Three generations of shite hair down the drain!

ghost9@piefed.social · 32 pts · 197d (1 reply)

She hasn't taken over yet. There's still time!

egrets@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 197d

Exhibit A:

morto@piefed.social · 9 pts · 197d

Don't underestimate her haircut styling skills!

BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 57 pts · 196d (1 reply)

Look at North Korea, breaking down those gender boundaries in the male-dominated dictatorship world.

stressballs@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 195d
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skisnow@lemmy.ca · 55 pts · 196d (3 replies)

That photo makes me feel old - I remember when Kim Jong Un looked young and stupid, now he looks old and stupid

lmagitem@lemmy.zip · 12 pts · 196d (2 replies)

Exactly! When did he age that much? It's crazy.

AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 196d (1 reply)

I suspect the last decade of dealing with Trump and Xi hasn't been the easiest time of his life. Just look at before and after pics of normal US presidents. That job ages them a decade in 4 years

Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 195d

he has to play nice with XI, in order to get funding and AID from which NK is entirely dependant on china. helping russia is like straining thier resources too.

ugandan_airways@lemmy.zip · 47 pts · 197d (18 replies)

He looks like shit for being in his early 40s. I wonder if there is something going on with his health and that’s why he is appointing a 13 year old heir. The article doesn’t elaborate on that but it says he ā€œappears young and healthy.ā€ He looks like he is about to pop. I don’t think I’d describe him as young or healthy looking.

green_red_black@slrpnk.net · 34 pts · 197d (8 replies)
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ugandan_airways@lemmy.zip · 27 pts · 197d (3 replies)

He’s almost 40 years younger than Trump, so I don’t think it’s comparable. I’m the same age as Kim and I know no one who is in as bad as shape as him (maybe one or two co-workers who are morbidly obese). There is nothing healthy about being 5’3ā€ and 275 lbs.

green_red_black@slrpnk.net · 12 pts · 197d (2 replies)
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ugandan_airways@lemmy.zip · 16 pts · 197d (1 reply)

I don’t know. Heart attacks are a real thing. Your 40s get weird with health stuff. I agree that I don’t think he is going to croak any day now, but it does seem like they are preparing for him to be gone. His father only lived to 60.

green_red_black@slrpnk.net · 5 pts · 197d
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regedit@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 196d (3 replies)

Kim Han Sol

So close...

green_red_black@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 196d (2 replies)
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njm1314@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 196d (1 reply)

O

green_red_black@slrpnk.net · 5 pts · 196d
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RalfWausE@feddit.org · 15 pts · 197d (2 replies)
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UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 197d (1 reply)

surrounded by people who whould absolutely love to acquire your position by all means

You think the third generational decedent of a national hero is going to be toppled by his most fiercely loyal family friends?

If the Kim family could have been pushed out by coup within the military, the CIA would have financed that shit 40 years ago.

supernight52@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 196d

Why would they? There's more power in having south Korea be an operating center in Asia, than overthrowing North Korea and allowing for possible reunification. Idk, seems like it would go against most of the CIAs goals that they usually have.

bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de · 10 pts · 197d (2 replies)

I remember just about every Kim not being very healthy. The jokes wrote themselves with Kim Jong-il.

ugandan_airways@lemmy.zip · 7 pts · 197d (1 reply)

Yep. And he died at 60. Younger Kim is on the same track.

Honytawk@feddit.nl · 2 pts · 196d

Does he also have a giant tumor like his dad did?

Notyou@sopuli.xyz · 6 pts · 197d

I read a news article about that mentioned he was thrusted into power in his 20s so maybe he wanted to start introducing her to the system early.

morto@piefed.social · 2 pts · 197d

I thouhgt he was in his early 40s like 10 years ago. Whoa!

captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 197d
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ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world · 37 pts · 196d

Finally, the people's girlboss leader!

thatradomguy@lemmy.world · 30 pts · 196d (1 reply)

So the US can't even let women control their own bodies but North Korea can get a woman to lead the country? The fuck kind of timeline are we even on? Why haven't the epstein files gotten the idiot impeached yet?

0x0@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 195d

Why haven’t the epstein files gotten the idiot impeached yet?

'Cos most of the people who would impeach him are in said files?

Formfiller@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 197d (3 replies)

I was hoping the era of women leaders was going to be a little less fascist. Does anyone have a link to the article not behind a paywall?

skisnow@lemmy.ca · 22 pts · 196d (1 reply)

What Thatcher taught us was that it's acceptable for women to be in charge as long as they're overtly callous.

leftzero@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 5 pts · 195d

There was nothing acceptable about that monster.

Well, her reign of terror might have spawned a generation of pretty good fantasy and science fiction writers, to be fair, probably as a form of escapism, but that doesn't come close to compensating for all the harm she did.

incompetent@programming.dev · 9 pts · 196d

I didn't hit a paywall, but this archive link should work for you.

psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 23 pts · 197d (43 replies)

Democracy is when you select an heir to your throne.

Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 197d (1 reply)

Welcome President Baron Trump

psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 197d

ē‰¹ęœ—ę™®äø‡å²äø‡å²äø‡äø‡å²

Riverside@reddthat.com · -15 pts · 197d (40 replies)
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psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 16 pts · 197d (32 replies)

Constitutional Monarchy are very different and limited form of monarchy, where the monarch have very limited power or are simply there for ceremonial purpose. The king doesn't command the parliament, and cannot make policy, and at most can suggest it.

I live in a country with constitutional monarchy and they mostly just there, occasionally making remark and have their opinions. They however still have the power to veto bill and reject project, but it happen very very rarely. They're mostly there as religious leader and political weapon for some.

So to answer your question, yes, Netherlands and Denmark both practice constitutional monarchy, hence they're still considered democracy.

Riverside@reddthat.com · -14 pts · 196d (31 replies)
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psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 13 pts · 196d (16 replies)

Firstly, to say that Kim family is merely ceremonial mean you have to proof that someone else is running the show, that hatched all the plans, that have the final say. We don't have that information. What we have is he is the single most powerful person in North Korea, that rule and guide the country, that inherited the power from his father.

Of course, a king need a general and a treasurer, whether they are the one in control or not is not a known fact, and that will remained a mystery until someone close to them speak.

So yes, with the information the world have, we can safely say North Korea is run by a single family.

Riverside@reddthat.com · -10 pts · 196d (15 replies)
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psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 196d (10 replies)

I don't doubt this, but you could have said the same about Queen Elizabeth before she got in a box

I can also say the same for all prime minister and president in country without monarch and with constitutional monarch. That is exactly what a leader of the country are. What is exactly your point here?

This requires more evidence. What's your evidence for this? What material reasons do you have to believe that the decisions come from Kim personally and not from the communist party?

Let me do one better: what is your evidence that say otherwise?

Riverside@reddthat.com · -6 pts · 196d
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njm1314@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 196d (3 replies)

I absolutely would not have described Queen Elizabeth as the most powerful person in the country at any time of her reign.

0x0@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 195d

The Queen/King is quite literally above the law in the UK. So yes.
Influential? Yes. The current clown not so much.

Riverside@reddthat.com · -8 pts · 196d
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supernight52@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 196d (12 replies)

Yes, we can definitively prove that the NK political theater is run by the Kim family. Watch any video of their "congress" meeting, and it's just a group of NPCs clapping mindlessly to everything Kim Jong il says.

Riverside@reddthat.com · -5 pts · 196d (11 replies)
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supernight52@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 196d (10 replies)

Being intentionally obtuse doesn't make you look smarter.

Riverside@reddthat.com · -3 pts · 196d
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psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 196d
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belastend@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 5 pts · 197d (6 replies)

And how much political power do the monarchs have?

Riverside@reddthat.com · -10 pts · 196d (5 replies)
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belastend@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 8 pts · 196d (4 replies)

Hm, how much Power does a family have that is venerated like a god and that can order the assassination of family members on foreign soil? Surely the Kim's and the Danish monarch are the same

Honytawk@feddit.nl · -4 pts · 196d

Anyone with enough money can order assassination of anyone on any foreign soil. That isn't really an argument.

Riverside@reddthat.com · -6 pts · 196d (2 replies)
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belastend@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 196d (1 reply)

Biden was the elected president of the US. He held power over political decisions, just like the Kims, but unlike the Danish Monarch. Kind of defeating your own argument here.

Lady Dee theories are interesting, haven't read much about them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Kim_Jong-nam Kim Jong-nam was a potential rival for the Throne and got killed for it. The Kims do hold the power in the DPRK.

Riverside@reddthat.com · -5 pts · 196d
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Fleur_@aussie.zone · 13 pts · 197d (1 reply)

We are about to see some of the most effective utiliseations of girl power in history

ameancow@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 196d
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vantablack@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 11 pts · 196d (2 replies)

diversity win!

leftzero@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 195d (1 reply)

What fucking diversity, she's still a Kim...

__Lost__@lemmy.dbzer0.com · -3 pts · 195d

Well, most people there are...

Donebrach@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 197d (5 replies)

Let’s hope they don’t secretly have the protomolecule sample.

faintwhenfree@lemmus.org · 1 pts · 196d (4 replies)

Eh if they did, I doubt they'd have long term patience to test validate and perfect a weapon before using it, they'd just dump it in the south and see what happens.

Donebrach@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 195d (3 replies)

You’ve activated my very stupid trap card called Teresa Duarte

faintwhenfree@lemmus.org · 1 pts · 195d (2 replies)

Oh no, must I go to freehold now?

Donebrach@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 195d

Just get there before it all shuts down

faintwhenfree@lemmus.org · 1 pts · 130d
oopsgodisdeadmybad@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 196d

I thought Mr. Nobutthole was invincible and would never die.

myfunnyaccountname@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 195d

Well, when the rest of the world is lead by pedophiles, you play the card that will make taking them over easy.

LodeMike@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 197d

The onion did this bit 20 years ago

sunbytes@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 192d

Fox news: Is North Korea "woke" now?

CommanderCloon@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 195d

Anything coming from SK about NK is extremely unreliable

sunbytes@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 192d

The Dance of Dragons (but with nukes) incoming.

HulkSmashBurgers@reddthat.com · 1 pts · 194d

So NK is entering it's girlboss era? How very progiessive (/s).

suddenlyme@lemmy.zip · -7 pts · 196d

So thats how communismn works