North Korea, currently a dictatorship where elections are unfair, governmental critics are terrorized, internet access is restricted and where citizens have no freedom of religion. North Korea, according to United Nations, is a country where citizens live under “systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations” and where the regime “seeks to dominate every aspect of its citizens’ lives and terrorizes them from within.” And ironically the official term for this nation is Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It is ruled by the Mount Paektu Bloodline, or commonly known as the Kim Dynasty and at present is being dominated by the third generation- Kim Jong-un.
Amidst human rights violations and alleged assassination attempts, North Korea has become one of the major holders of nuclear power. It has proved to be a more secure and less isolated state in Jong un’s reign. The two key marks in his reign were: nuclear arsenal that could deter an American attack and a personal relationship with the US president. North Korea also holds a pledge of support from its guarantor, China. In March 2018, Kim marked his first foreign trip since taking power after meeting Xi Jinping. The “Socialist Corporate Responsible Management System” introduced in 2013 shows attempts of Kim’s general economic policy to reform management and increase autonomy.
North Korea has always had a thick layer of secrecy around their leaders and the government does not like the unquenchable curiosity of people about what is happening within their nuclear-armed nation, so there is no statement from the current government about the leader’s health but the speculation on Jong-un’s disappearance is being discussed all over the world and has been greatly exaggerated. The leader was last seen on April 12th, and he missed major events like his grandfather’s birth anniversary on April 15th for the first time after taking power and a weapon launch on April 14th. Back in 2014, he vanished for 14 days and reappeared with a cane, and no one still has a complete report about that incident. Moreover, he is not the only member of the hermetic country’s ruling body to disappear. Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s founder who was reported dead by South Korean newspapers in November 1986, but he soon reappeared hours later in an airport. Kim Jong Il inspired assassination attempts in a massive explosion at a train station but was seen again hours later. Kim Kyong Hui, was reported murdered by his nephew, the current leader in 2015, but gave her first appearance after six years, sitting beside him in a concert. After statements by the US monitoring intelligence of the leader being in grave danger post the cardio-vascular surgery, some news channels of Japan and China reported him dead.
This led the spotlight to shine on his sister, Kim Yo-jong, also known as the Ivanka Trump of North Korea. There have been excited speculation of Yo-jong to be the first female leader of North Korea as the successor of Jong-un. She is rumoured to be the brains behind her brother’s cult. She was elected to the Supreme People’s Assembly during the 2019 North Korean parliamentary election in 2020 . She was also reinstated in April 2020 in the party politburo., increasing speculations of the leader’s death and Yo-jong to be the successor. She represented Kim at the 2018 Winter Olympics and was blacklisted for severe human right abuses proving herself equal to any man in North Korea. While North Korea is expanding opportunities for women, it is highly arguable that women are treated equal to men in North Korea. Only 16.3% of the parliament is composed of women and Yo-jong is only the second woman to be part of the decision making body. There are speculations that Kim Jong-un’s uncle Kim Pyong-il could be the next leader as the conservative male may resist giving power to a woman. North Korea is definitely led by a Male-chauvinistic society but the bloodline status supersedes gender. The omnipotent quasi-divine nature of the Kim family will make its leader -whether male or female, young or old -irreproachable. Everyone in North Korea understands that power to rule the nation runs through the Kim Family and it is believed that she will wield power with a mix of terror and promotions and she knows how to play the game!
BY MUSKAN BAGRODIA
SOURCES: CNBC, BLOOMBERG, BUSINESS INSIDER