Shadowing Practice: The World's Deadliest Child - Learn English Speaking with Video
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This is the most dangerous child in the world.
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She's probably 12 or 13 years old.
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At first glance, she looks like any other girl her age.
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But her future is anything but ordinary.
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One day, she might succeed her father, one of the most ruthless dictators of our time.
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In 2022, she appeared out of nowhere.
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But since then, she's been seen at Kim Jong-un's side again and again.
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At military parades, missile tests, and official state visits.
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Why is North Korea suddenly putting her on display? Who is she really?
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We went through hours of footage, dozens of reports, and Secret Service intel to piece together everything we could find out about her.
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This is the story of Kim Jue, the girl who may one day rule North Korea.
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There's very little reliable information about Kim Jong-un's daughter.
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Our research is mostly based on reports from South Korea's National Intelligence Service, NIS, on an extensive visual analysis of thousands of hours of North Korean state TV,
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and on one curious interview.
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It's September 2013.
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Former basketball star Dennis Rodman has just returned from a trip to North Korea.
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He has visited Kim Jong-un and his family and talks about his experience in an interview with The Guardian.
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Since early 2013, the two have maintained an unlikely friendship.
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Rodman repeatedly talks about this in public.
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We laugh, we sing karaoke, we do a lot of cool things together.
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We ride horses, we hang out, we go skiing.
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Rodman speaks quite fondly of the North Korean leader.
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He's my friend for life.
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I don't care what you guys think about him.
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On his most recent trip, the two apparently spent some time by the sea, vacation with the Kim family, Rodman says.
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According to him, they mainly talked about their shared love for basketball.
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Rodman claimed they discussed plans for a friendly match between North Korea and the U.S.
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They even talked about co-founding their very own basketball team.
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In the very same interview, Rodman also dropped some unexpected insight into the dictator's private life.
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Kim Jong-un is supposed to have a daughter.
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She's still a baby, and Robin claims he even held her in his arms.
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He also reveals her alleged name, Kim Jue.
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But it will take years before the world will actually get to see her face.
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In 2017, South Korea's intelligence service, NIS, reveals previously unknown details about the Kim family.
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According to the NIS report, Kim Jong-un has three children, a son born in 2010, a daughter born in 2013,
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and a third child born in 2017, whose gender is still unknown.
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It's unclear why the alleged son has never appeared in public.
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The NIS suspects he may have health issues.
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Journalist and North Korean expert Jae Woo Park thinks there may not have been a son at all.
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First, I met Dennis Rodman, and also second, I talked with Kim Jong-un's childhood friend in in Switzerland,
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he got invited to North Korea by Kim Jong-un in 2012 and 2003.
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And both of them say they heard about the daughter Kim Joo-ae and met Kim Joo-ae,
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Dennis Roderman specifically, but they never heard about a son, older son.
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So that indicates, I think, there's no son between Kim Jong-un and Riesel-joo.
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Ri Seol-joo is Kim Jong-un's wife and most likely the mother of his children.
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The first time she's publicly seen at her husband's side is in 2012.
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In 2018, North Korean state television starts referring to her as the respected first lady.
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The Kim family is notoriously secretive about their private lives.
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Very little information ever makes it out.
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But apart from South Korean intelligence reports, satellite images offer rare glimpses into Jue's childhood.
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Her father owns several luxury estates across the country.
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The NIS believes Jue is homeschooled in Pyongyang.
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This is where the Kim family's main residence is located, the so-called Ryongsong residence, also known as Residence No. 55.
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In 2018, a Russian photographer publishes images of another luxury property situated in a North Korean capital.
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It's rumored to be a guest house for the regime's VIP visitors.
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Jue is believed to spend most of her time inside these Pyongyang homes.
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Her father and his sister, Kim Yo-jong, spend some of their school years in Switzerland.
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Jue, however, does not appear to be educated abroad.
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Park thinks this could be a deliberate decision.
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It was a big deal after South Korean media and the U.S media and other media outlets found out.
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They used to stay in Switzerland and those kind of things were probably damaged for their propaganda.
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And also Kim Ju-ae cannot go to school with the other folks in North Korea
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because they're going to be rumored and they're going to be special treatment for her
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and people are going to be complaining about that.
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The Kim family also spends a lot of time at their summer residences.
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This is likely one of the largest.
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It's located in Wonsan, on North Korea's east coast.
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Kim Jong-un is said to have spent parts of his own childhood here, and today his children likely do the same as well.
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The compound appears to have various amenities, private beaches, guest houses, luxury yachts, even its very own railway station.
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This is where Dennis Rodman was invited as well.
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We went on the boat and it was all his family, his friends and dignitaries and stuff like that.
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Jet skiing and everything.
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Everything, jet skiing, da da da da.
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We had so much fun.
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Right next to the station is a large area with circular plots.
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It looks like a horse riding track.
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According to NIS reports, Jue loves horseback riding.
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Horses play a major role in North Korean mythology.
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White horses in particular are a central icon of the Kim dynasty.
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Jue is also said to be an avid skier.
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Just about 50 kilometers west of the Wansan estate lies this massive ski resort.
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The regime claims it's supposed to boost domestic tourism.
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However, critics believe this megaproject is little more than a private playground for the Kim family and their inner circle.
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But Kim Jue seems to be more than just a privileged child spoiled with luxury and expensive hobbies.
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Behind the scenes, the regime may be preparing her for something far bigger.
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Hey, we're taking a quick ad break here.
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Don't you skip.
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This finances our work, and we're also offering some complimentary subway surfer.
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Did you know that the passwords of millions of people is password or one, two, three, four, five, six.
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If you're one of them, shame on you.
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Do you also leave the front door open and the lights on when you go on vacation?
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Even if your name is less trash than password, it's probably bad.
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Like your dog's name, 420, child.
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Why not get NordVPN and use their password manager, NordPass, to generate and automatically fill in strong passwords?
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If I had to say password one more time, I swear.
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On the topic, also turn on NordVPN's dark web monitor to get alerts about your credentials that appear on underground hacker websites.
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In general, just get a grip and buy a VPN.
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Advertisers track us, public wifi exposes our data, and somehow every website already knows what we were thinking about buying.
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So if you'd like a little bit more control over your own data, if not over your life in general, go to nordvpn.com slash ferntv,
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scan this QR code, or click the link in the description to get a big discount in four extra months.
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They also have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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This is one of the biggest intercontinental ballistic missiles in the world.
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With a maximum range of 15,000 kilometers, it could easily travel from North Korea to the US mainland.
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Today, it's being tested.
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The regime stages the launch with a meticulously orchestrated video.
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State media declares the test a complete success.
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The international press takes notice, but quickly fixates on another detail.
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Standing next to the dictator is a little girl.
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It's Kim Jue's first ever public appearance.
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The images go viral.
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father and daughter casually dressed like they're on a family trip.
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This may be the most striking image, Kim Jong-un and his daughter holding hands in front of a weapon of mass destruction.
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From the very start, Joo-ae appears to be more than just another family member, and over the following months, she will move further into the spotlight.
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February 2023, a banquet celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Korean People's Army.
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State media release photos of the lavish dinner.
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One of them shows Jue sitting between her parents, right in front of North Korea's highest-ranking generals.
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The image makes Kim Jong-un look like a sideshow.
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Jue stands out in many other photos from that night.
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In North Korea, Kim Jong-un is treated as a godlike figure, but in these photos, his daughter is front and center, as if Kim Jue was just as important as her father.
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The next night, there's a massive military parade.
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Pyongyang's Kim Tooseng Square is ablaze with light and flanked by thousands of people.
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The regime has spared no expenses to flaunt its military power.
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Every tank, every jet, and every missile is rolled out on a red carpet.
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Thousands of soldiers march before the cheering crowds.
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And right there at her father's side is Kim Jue, closer to him than ever before.
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No one else could touch Kim Jong-un's cheek or whisper or very intimate to Kim Jong-un.
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Kim Jue is someone different.
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Kim Jue is not normal, it's not even the same level with Kim Jong-un's wife.
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So Kim Jue is very special as well.
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Together they watch as the colossal Hwasong 17 Intercontinental Missile rolls by.
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Jue has already seen it.
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And then a white horse comes galloping through the parade.
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The news anchor describes it as the horse most loved by the leader's beloved child.
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From this day on, Jue's public appearances become more frequent.
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More military parades, more missile tests, and more meetings with top generals.
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Events where children usually don't belong.
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But each of them has Jue moving closer from the background to the center.
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In 2023, this image goes viral.
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It shows Jue and her father watching the launch of North Korea's first ever spy satellite.
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In this image, she is standing in front of her father.
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The New York Times says it's the first time ever
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that Kim Jong-un is relegated to a secondary role in an official portrait.
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Jue looks like a miniature version of her father.
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The black leather outfit is usually reserved for North Korean Air Force.
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Outside the military, it is only worn by high-ranking officials.
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It looks like Kim Jue is increasingly framed as a strong leader.
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Japan-based media outlet Nikai Asia analyzed over 14,000 hours of North Korean state TV from 2022 to late 2025.
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The number of days Jue appears on TV has started to rise sharply in 2024
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and is now approaching that of her father.
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More than half of her public appearances have been at military-related events.
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But in recent years, Jue has been seen more and more at diplomatic meetings both inside and outside North Korea.
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In 2025, she accompanied her father abroad when he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Beijing.
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Kim Jue's clothing has also grown noticeably more formal and representative over the years.
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and the fact that she is often seen cheek to cheek with her father could suggest
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that she is deliberately placed close to power.
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But what does this all mean?
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Could Kim Jong-un really be preparing his daughter to become his successor?
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Kim Jong-il ruled North Korea for more than two decades.
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Just days after his death in 2011, Kim Jong-Un was announced as his successor.
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He's the late ruler's youngest son and about 27 years old.
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Hardly anyone knew him at the time.
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He'd only been introduced to the public one year prior, when he was appointed general.
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To the outside world, the transfer of power looked seamless.
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But behind the scenes, it was actually a critical moment.
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Kim Jong-Un had to assert himself against senior generals and the party elite.
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He removed his opponents, including those in his own family, and established himself as undisputed leader.
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The Kim dynasty lived on.
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The struggle for power taught Kim Jong-un how important it is to secure his succession early, and that insight would become relevant rather sooner than later.
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According to NIS reports, Kim Jong-un has a very unhealthy lifestyle.
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Heavy drinking, lots of food, little sleep, And this.
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The 42-year-old Supreme Leader is a notorious chain smoker.
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A New York Times report claims he is already suffering from cardiovascular issues, the very same problems that contributed to the deaths of both his father and grandfather.
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His health could be one reason for him to publicly prepare a potential successor.
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Is North Korea's regime actually grooming Kim Jue to become the next Supreme Leader?
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Some observers think her public appearances primarily serve her father's interests.
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After all, Kim Jong-un is showcasing her at a time when his rule is under huge pressure.
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When COVID hit, North Korea sealed itself off completely.
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Around the same time, China stopped trading with North Korea.
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This led to a dramatic spike in inflation and skyrocketing food prices.
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Maybe Kim Jong-un is using his daughter to boost his own image, to project a softer image, and to present himself as a loving father figure.
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North Korea is also deeply patriarchal.
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A look at North Korea's leadership history shows that so far it's been only men.
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Women are heavily underrepresented in politics and society in general, and systematically discriminated.
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For decades it was practically impossible to imagine a female supreme leader.
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But things seem to have changed under Kim Jong-un.
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His sister Kim Yo-jong is the first woman to hold a central position within the regime.
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She is vice director of the propaganda and agitation department and the country's most prominent voice in foreign policy.
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Whenever her brother meets with other heads of state, Kim Yo-jong is at his side.
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But now she is considered one of the most powerful people in North Korea
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and even a potential successor in her own right.
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We've made an entire video about her.
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But there's one thing that speaks against Kim Yo-jong succeeding her brother.
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North Korea's rule of succession demands that the current dictator be succeeded by a direct offspring.
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Selecting the sister would be a deviation from that direct bloodline.
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Selecting the daughter wouldn't.
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Blood is more than gender.
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There's a different hierarchy because they're like king or they're like God.
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And also it's the fourth generation of dictatorship.
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So it should be new, something new.
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So women could be very excited for North Korea.
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State media have started referring to Jue as the respected daughter, general and morning star.
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All these titles carry a highly symbolic weight suggests she may be primed for power.
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However, to this day, neither her exact age nor her name have been officially confirmed.
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We can't know for sure what's happening behind closed doors about the power struggles
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that may be unfolding or the expectations placed on her.
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Maybe Kim Jong-un just wants to project the image of a loving father.
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Maybe he's deliberately keeping succession open to make sure he will have more than just a single option.
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Maybe he's really preparing Jue to become the first woman to rule the country.
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There would be a technical problem though.
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In North Korea, children inherit their father's surname.
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So if Kim Joo-ae becomes supreme leader, her future children would carry a different one.
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The Kim dynasty would end with her.
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But Kim Jong-un is a god-like figure with absolute power.
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If he decides to change the rules of succession, who's going to stop him?
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills by focusing on a fascinating topic: the life of a child who may one day lead North Korea. By engaging with the provided transcript, you will learn to articulate complex ideas and enhance your vocabulary. This lesson will emphasize the importance of context and tone, helping you become more confident in your speaking abilities. Through the shadowing technique, you will closely mimic the phrasing and intonation used in the video, ultimately improving your proficiency in English.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Dictator - A ruler with total power over a country, typically one who has obtained power by force.
- Ruthless - Having or showing no pity or compassion for others; merciless.
- Intel - Information of military or strategic value; intelligence.
- State Visits - Official visits by a head of state to another country, usually representing their government.
- Alleged - Claimed, but not yet proven to be the case.
- Insight - The ability to gain an accurate understanding of someone or something.
- Private Life - Aspects of a person's life that they do not share with the public.
- Visual Analysis - The examination of visual material (like videos or pictures) to extract information.
Practice Tips
To make the most of this lesson, implement the shadowing technique, where you listen closely and repeat what is spoken. Start at a slow pace, focusing on enunciation and clarity. The tone of the narrator is serious and informative, which means your shadow speaking should reflect this. Repeat phrases such as “most dangerous child in the world” and “the story of Kim Jue” to grasp the rhythm of the speech.
Engage in English speaking practice by recording yourself as you repeat the lines, then compare your recording to the original audio. Pay attention to how the narrator varies their tone when presenting facts versus personal stories. This will also help you to develop a natural speaking style.
Additionally, consider sharing your insights about the transcript with a peer or language partner. Discussing complex subjects can enhance your vocabulary retention and speaking confidence. Try to incorporate the key vocabulary from the list into your conversation. You can even explore shadowing sites that offer similar transcripts to expand your practice further.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.