North Korea leader Kim Jong Un daughter, Kim Ju Ae, don dey show for public with style wey make people talk say she dey prepare to take over from her papa. Since November 2022, when she first appear for state media alongside her father for missile launch site, her fashion don change from simple to fine-fine clothes wey show say she get special status.
At first, Ju Ae wear black trousers and white padded jacket, but as time dey go, she start to wear leather jackets, fur coats, and even expensive designer clothes like Christian Dior padded jacket wey cost $1,900. South Korea spy agency believe say Kim Jong Un don choose her as successor, because she dey appear for military parades, missile tests, and even overseas trips with her father.
According to analysts, the way Ju Ae dey dress na part of plan to make she look mature and strong, so that people no go see her age as weakness. She dey wear clothes wey resemble her mother Ri Sol Ju, and sometimes she even twin with her father for black leather jackets. This style na wetin dem call ‘image replication’ – a tactic wey Kim Jong Un use before, when he dress like his grandfather Kim Il Sung to gain legitimacy.
The North Korea government get special department, Propaganda and Agitation Department, wey dey decide wetin Ju Ae go wear. By dressing her for high-quality leather and designer clothes, dem dey show say her status dey above ordinary citizens. Ordinary North Koreans no fit wear such things, because government ban foreign culture and luxury items for common people. But for Kim family, rules no apply – even Kim Jong Un don wear jeans before, even though jeans dey banned for North Korea.
Ju Ae fashion don influence some wealthy North Koreans, who dey try to copy her style. Reports say luxury goods like Chanel cosmetics and fur coats don become popular for city wey dey border China. Even children for prestigious kindergarten don wear see-through blouses like Ju Ae wear for a ceremony. But government still dey warn ordinary citizens say such hairstyles and outfits na anti-socialist and dey blur image of socialist system.
Some analysts say say by wearing Western-designed clothes, Ju Ae and her mother dey show ‘differentiation strategy’ – wey mean say their social standing different from ordinary people. And because Ju Ae still young, dey dress her for formal suits and skirts to mask her youth. But sometimes she wear leather jackets wey show say she strong and casual, suitable for visiting military bases.
Kim Ju Ae emergence as possible successor dey break tradition of patrilineal succession wey North Korea don follow for almost 80 years. Although Kim Jong Un get other children, including eldest son, Ju Ae be the one wey don appear for public and get official titles like ‘respected child’ and even ‘guidance’ – word wey normally dey reserved for supreme leader. Some people think say because she be girl, she need longer time to prepare, so dem start early to groom her.
The regime dey use maternal statecraft to make Ju Ae acceptable. North Korea propaganda don always mix fatherly and motherly images – even Kim Il Sung dey called ‘parent leader’ rather than ‘fatherly leader’. Kim Jong Un too dey show emotional side, crying for public to show say he care like mother. This make the idea of female leader less strange for North Koreans.
For recent events, Ju Ae don fire sniper rifle and operate battle tank for state media – things wey show say she dey train to be commander. She dey walk shoulder to shoulder with her father, receive salutes from senior officers, and stand for center of official photographs. All these dey send message say she be direct vessel of Paektu bloodline, wey dey sacred and gender-transcendent.
Ultimately, Kim Ju Ae rise dey show say Kim dynasty dey ready to break even deep patriarchal tradition to keep power. Her succession no be just possible, but strategic and inevitable according to analysts.
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