Kim Yumi Says North Koreans Fear Another Hereditary Power Transfer

Kim Yumi says seeing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appear on state television with his young daughter stirred fears that the country was preparing for another hereditary handover of power. The 32-year-old defector told The Associated Press that the prospect frustrated her, as ordinary citizens have no say in who will lead them. Yumi said she and her husband decided to leave North Korea with their family after pandemic restrictions damaged their fishing business and they worried about raising their children under another generation of rule by the Kim family. “We thought the best thing we could do for our children was to give them freedom,” she said. The report says Yumi escaped by boat to South Korea with relatives three years ago. Public opposition to the ruling dynasty is exceptionally dangerous, while leaving the country without permission can bring severe punishment. North Korea has seen two transfers of power within the family: from founder Kim Il Sung to his son Kim Jong Il, and later to Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Un’s daughter, whose name is reported as Kim Ju Ae and whose age is believed to be about 13, has appeared with him at public events since late 2022. Those appearances have included weapons tests and military parades. State media has described her as his “most beloved” and “respected” child, while images and ceremonial positioning have prompted scrutiny of her status. South Korea’s intelligence agency considers her a likely successor, the report says. Interviews with defectors and experts suggest that people inside North Korea may privately have little power to influence the succession, even if the prospect of another dynastic transition is widely discussed. The AP also notes that very little is publicly known about the girl herself, leaving her appearances beside her father open to interpretation.