Kim Jong-un: Is North Korea’s Dictator Dead?
The internet has been abuzz for hours now because of rumors of North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un’s death. This excitement began last week when news circulated that he was in critical condition. This information was however disproved by North Korea and President Donald Trump. South Korea said five days ago that they have seen no unusual signs about his health. Kim Jong-un has a family history of heart disease and diabetes.
Information circulating at this moment is confusing and can even be described as misleading. Some say Kim Jong-un is in critical condition and might be brain dead after this illness. Others say his family’s train was spotted in a resort town and he might be in it. Meanwhile, Chinese doctors have been dispatched to North Korea to advise on Kim Jong-un’s care.
North Korea, however, has been silent about the condition of its supreme leader. This is not at all surprising, as news of his predecessor’s deaths were also delayed. However, the question still remains: Is Kim Jong-un dead or struggling to stay alive?
Who Is Kim Jong-un?
Kim Jong-un is the thirty-six-year-old North Korean supreme leader and has ruled from the year 2012 till now, he succeeded his father Kim Jong-il (1941-2011) who also succeeded his father Kim il-sung who ruled North Korea since inception. Kim Jong-un was said to have died from botched heart surgery.
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Kim Jong-un As A Dictator
Kim rules a dictatorship where elections are not free and fair, government critics are persecuted, media is controlled by the regime, internet access is limited by the regime, and there is no freedom of religion. His regime operates an extensive network of prisons and labor camps that has imprisoned and killed millions of people; the regime convicts people for political crimes and uses collective punishment whereby members of a family get punished for the crimes of one person. According to the United Nations, North Koreans live under “systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations” where the regime “seeks to dominate every aspect of its citizens’ lives and terrorizes them from within. The regime exerts extensive control over the North Korean economy, with substantial state-controlled economic enterprises and significant restrictions on North Koreans’ ability to engage in foreign economic activity. On 12 December 2013, Kim ordered the execution of his uncle Jang Song-thaek for “treachery”. Kim is widely believed to have ordered the assassination of his half-brother, Kim Jong-Nam, in Malaysia in February 2017.
Source: Wikipedia
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If North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un Dies, Will His Sister Succeed Him?
Kim Jong-un supposedly has three children by his wife Ri Sol-ju but they were all born between the year 2010 and now, making them too young to rule. On the other hand, Kim Yo Jong, the supreme leader’s thirty-two-year-old sister has been increasingly active in politics for the past two years and is said to be highly respected and feared by the people of North Korea.
However, North Korea is known for being sexist in many ways as patriarchy is the order of the day. Women are seen as less than men. Yet, we all know that powerful women defeat that rule. Will Kim Yo Jong be powerful enough to succeed her brother?
What Is The Fate Of North Korea If Kim Yo Jong Rules?
A dictator is a dictator, regardless of sex. Why do you think Kim Jong-un got along so well with her? Kim Yo Jong has been a supporter of her brother’s actions and if not, she has been complicit to them. It is surprising that North Koreans on the internet are starting to paint her in the light of an “avatar” and a savior who would lead them out of fascism. Others say she is “hot”, cute and would be the next feminist icon.
Kim Yo Jong, however, is not the sweet cookie baking woman in all our fantasies but a no-nonsense woman who has been instrumental in the making of decisions in her brother’s dictatorship. North Korea should be getting ready for something big because it is certain that if Kim Jong-un dies a whole lot of things will change.
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