Where was Kim jong-Un?

11 April 2020, just another day for the world as COVID-19 cases were stacking up sharply, no one paid much attention to the unremarkable news from a third world country, North Korea. The state-run Korean central news agency published a mundane story about Kim Jong-Un attending a Workers Party meeting. What no one knew was that this will be the last photograph taken for Kim for almost 3 weeks. After missing his grandfather’s birthday celebration on 15 April, something he hasn’t done in his 9 years of his regime, it became clear that something was up and the rumors quickly started cooking up. The Internet took up by the storm and social media and news agencies were flooded by the rumors of Kim’s death due to failed cardiovascular surgery or coronavirus. On 1 May, when the supreme commander returned before the media to inspect a fertilizer factory outside Pyongyang. This is another classic example of sloppy journalism and how people around the world were easily convinced as many outlets including the big names like CNN, BBC went into publishing the news, the world stopped the celebration of a brutal, murderous dictator. This may be a false alarm this time around, but this incident raises up one grave question- Who will inherit the nuclear codes, once Kim Jong-Un is dead. 

    

    In its existence of 71 years, only three people and one family has ever ruled the Democratic The people’s Republic of Korea. From the country’s founding in 1948, Kim Il-Sung ruled the country for 46 years, until he died in 1994. During this time India, which gained independence around the same time cycled through 8 prime ministers and Japan through 21. After the demise of the first leader, his eldest son Kim Jong-Il inherited the throne. This was relatively easy as Kim jong-Il showed keen interest in politics from a young age, thus helping him climbing up the ladder in the race. But the question who will follow Kim Jong-Il was far more complicated as he married to 4 different women bearing 3 sons and 4 daughters. Kim Jong-Nam, being the eldest son and favorite was considered the heir apparent to his father until 2001, embarrassing the regime in 2001 with a failed attempt to visit Tokyo Disneyland with a false passport Dominican passport and fake Chinese name. As a result, Kim Jong-Nam was exiled from North Korea in 2003. The middle son was considered quiet and unmotivated to join the politics as a result Kim Jong-Un was chosen as the next heir for the Kim dynasty in 2008.

     If tradition continues, power will be inherited by the eldest son of Kim. However, the problem with that is the eldest son is 10 years old as of now and the physical health of Kim Jong-Un is much worse than his predecessors, meaning there is a very real chance he can die before any of his children reaches maturity which brings us to glaze at the family tree. 

    According to the Korean tradition, anyone with the Kim family blood is a potential rival in the race. Kim Jong-Nam was assassinated in 2017 in Kuala Lampur. The most realistic replacement comes from the country, Kim Yo-Jong, daughter of Kim Jong-Il. After the demise of her father, she has accepted a very public role as his brother’s assistant. She can be seen standing behind Kim in all important meetings the power she has accumulated in all these years along with close proximity to Kim is a clear sign of trust. While she has all-important Kim family blood she would likely struggle to gain support in North Korea’s patriarchal culture. Another contender is Choe Ryong-Hae, supposedly father in law of Kim Yo-Jong. As a member of the party’s Standing committee, central committee, Military Commission, Deputy of Supreme People commission he is one of the most powerful senior officials in the country. But he lacks the family blood and financial access thus making him a less favorable choice as the Supreme Commander. This leaves only Kim Jong-Chol, the older brother of Kim Jong-Un but he too has no political ambitions, thus making Kim jong-Un the Supreme Commander in the first place. 

    The problem with the nation is that so much of what we know is told by the insiders who have once lived in the country. North Korea, remaining isolated and disinterested in confirming or denying the rumors to the outside world, one can only assume the incidents with the limited understanding and connecting the dots. In the last replacements, there was no chaotic struggle for power and the world got lucky as they didn’t have to face any commotion due to this nuclear-armed nation. Only time will tell what the future beholds and will there be any struggle in the next replacement.