North Korea Many predicted a coup after only 27-year-old Kim Jong-un became a dictator, but he ruthlessly consolidated his power and has led North Korea for ten years.

Ten years ago, grief struck North Korea.

The streets of the cities are said to be filled with desperate crying. In schools, students dressed in uniforms fell to their knees in mourning.

The reason was that the leader of a tightly controlled communist dictatorship Kim Jong-il had died at the age of 69 years.

When the supreme leader of the dictatorship leaves, there is a fear of the system collapsing. The weakness of systems built on one person is that they may not be able to withstand the departure of a leader.

In the midst of grief, one of the world’s most closed countries told the state media that the “dear leader” already has a “great follower”. He was the son of Kim Jong-il, then 27 years old Kim Jong-un.

Friday marked the tenth anniversary of North Korea’s transition to Kim Jong-un, who came to power at a very young age.

How has his reign gone?

When Kim Jong-un rose to North Korea’s leadership, with many doubting that the reign would not be long or that power would not even pass to Kim. Many predicted a military coup or other transfer of power.

However, the estimates went wrong. In ten years, Kim Jong-un has not only succeeded in consolidating his dominance. He has ushered about a country of about 25 million people into an era called “Kimjongunism”.

At first, a young leader trained in Switzerland was even laughed at. A smile froze as Kim showed that she did not hesitate to clean up those who perceived her power as questioners if necessary.

In 2013, Kim executed her aunt’s husband, an influential general Jang Song-thaekin, who was to become his advisor and mentor. The general was accused in the state media of “attempting to overthrow the government”.

A few years later Kim’s older brother, moved abroad Kim Jong-Nam was killed with nerve gas in Kuala Lumpur. There is no certainty about the author.

In any case, Kim Jong-un is believed to have carried out a number of executions aimed specifically at cleansing the leadership of the army and administration.

He then turned his attention to foreign policy.

North Korea and the gap between democratic countries in the region has been tightened, especially by North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. As a result of the program, the international community has imposed sanctions on North Korea.

The most historic attempt to resolve the crisis is when Kim met with the President of the United States Donald Trumpin In Singapore in 2018. The United States is North Korea’s arch-enemy.

Several meetings with Trump did not bring a breakthrough in tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Meetings with Trump, President of China Xi Jinpingin and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin however, strengthened Kim’s dominance as well as his reputation as a serious dictator.

Kim During the Jong-un period, North Korea has conducted four nuclear tests and tested ballistic missiles about a hundred times. Neighboring countries such as South Korea and Japan are concerned about the continued development of the armed capability of an unpredictable dictatorship.

However, the internal situation in North Korea has deteriorated with the pandemic caused by the coronavirus. North Korea has become an even poorer and more isolated country.

Due to the pandemic, the country has introduced austerity measures that have affected more than international sanctions.

Experts according to Kim, he has returned to the path of severe restrictions in an attempt to strengthen his sense of internal cohesion in difficult times.

“Increasing censorship hints that government confidence has weakened,” said director of the Korea Economic Institute. Troy Stangarone evaluates Reuters.

In the shadow of the pandemic, the North Korean economy has suffered more than for decades. Kim himself warned earlier this year that the economic situation is “worse than ever”.

In difficult times, the regime has tried to prevent foreign influences from achieving a closed dictatorship. North Koreans do not have access to the Internet, radio and television only broadcast state-approved content.

However, maintaining censorship is difficult because foreign content is already widely available in North Korea. Foreign media content is spreading to the younger generation, for example with the help of USB memory sticks.

Investigator Cho Han-bum The Korea Institute for National Unification thought it would be even more difficult for the younger generation, born in the 1990s and beyond, to accept strict censorship and isolation.

“A clash between Kim’s conservative approach and North Korean millennials … will be inevitable,” Cho told Reuters.

Indeed, the biggest challenge for the former “young leader” may be the rising generation.