More on the appearance of Kim Jong-un's daughter at the missile inspection last week. In western media this seems to have been generally interpreted as a signal that she was being groomed as next in line, but this fails to acknowledge the extent to which the Great Socialist Nation is completely male dominated. The latest from the Daily NK - an interesting glimpse into the politics of the Kim dynasty (Kimology?) - reinforces the point:
The North Korean government recently disseminated a document emphasizing the revolutionary work conducted by members of the “Mount Paektu bloodline” and organized a related lecture for senior cadres, Daily NK has learned.
Following the public debut of the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, these developments appear to mark the beginning of efforts to elevate the status and authority of the Kim dynasty’s next generation.
Along with accompanying his daughter to the site of the test launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 18, Kim Jong Un also brought her along to a recent commemorative photo for people who contributed to the success of the test launch. On Nov. 27, the Rodong Sinmun published several photographs of Kim alongside his daughter in an article about the commemorative photo shoot....
The swift action by the Workers’ Party to disseminate a document about the Mount Paektu bloodline and to hold ideological training for senior cadres appears designed to head off any critical assessments about Kim bringing his daughter to major events and also control the narrative about Kim’s actions among cadres.
The document about the Mount Paektu bloodline, which is said to have been jointly composed by the Propaganda and Agitation Department and the Organization and Guidance Department, described “all the precious children of the Mangyongdae lineage and the Mount Paektu bloodline” as being “the holy foundation for the completion of our revolutionary work,” the source said.
The “Mangyongdae lineage” consists of four generations beginning with Kim Jong Un’s great-grandfather Kim Hyong Jik and going forward to his grandfather Kim Il Sung, his father Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un himself. The expression is used to describe the status of the Kim family and the legitimacy of the dynastic succession.
Whereas the expression “Mount Paektu bloodline” signifies those born with a sense of revolutionary mission based on the history and achievements of Kim Il Sung’s struggle against Japanese colonial rule, the expression “Mangyongdae lineage” can be seen as stressing those who are in a direct line of descent from Kim Hyong Jik.
The expression “Mangyongdae lineage” has often been used in the Rodong Sinmun and other North Korean media outlets. When Kim Jong Un was identified as the successor to Kim Jong Il in 2009, for example, North Korean media said, “The noble vision and aspiration of the Mangyongdae revolutionary family, which runs from Kim Hyong Jik down through the Great Leader [Kim Il Sung] and the Great General [Kim Jong Il] is a strong and prosperous country that will forever thrive.”
But high-ranking sources in North Korea agree that Kim’s recently debuted daughter has not been chosen as the successor who will carry on the family line.
“The daughter revealed to the public cannot become the successor. If she were to be the successor, she wouldn’t have been shown holding her father’s hand or being carried like a child,” another high-ranking source told Daily NK.
Idolization consists of the process of deifying a leader who was born with unique qualities that set them apart from the masses. Therefore, the leader being idolized cannot be depicted as a weak child in need of protection, the source said.
After Kim Jong Un took power, mythical anecdotes were circulated that he had shot his first gun and driven his first car at the age of three as part of efforts to idolize him.
Senior cadres inside North Korea currently take it for granted that Kim’s successor will be his firstborn son. But because the successor must already be a fully capable adult at the time of his debut, he will be kept in complete secrecy until then, the source explained.
One of the apparent reasons that Kim brought his daughter along for two politically significant events related to North Korea’s nuclear arsenal is to underline that all members of his bloodline possess a superiority that sets them apart from the general public.
“The aged commander bowed low for a handshake, but [Kim’s] ten-year-old daughter didn’t bow. That shows that the leader’s children must be treated with the same veneration as the leader himself,” the first high-ranking source told Daily NK.
It's like a medieval kingdom, with missile launchers instead of jousting tournaments. Same old serfs, though.
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