this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2026

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Kim Jong Un chooses teen daughter as heir, says Seoul (www.bbc.com)

submitted 2 days ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has selected his daughter as his heir, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday.

Kim Ju Ae - who is believed to be 13 - has in recent months been pictured beside her father in high-profile events like a visit to Beijing in September, her first known trip abroad.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it took a "range of circumstances" into account including her increasingly prominent public presence at official events" in making this assessment.

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[–] Riverside@reddthat.com 0 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (2 children)

About Saudi Arabia:

The kafala system or kefala system (Arabic: نظام الكفالة niẓām al-kafāla, lit. 'sponsorship system') is a system in the Middle East that involves binding the residency and employment status of a migrant worker to a specific employer throughout the period of their residence in a country. Under this arrangement, the employer holds substantial authority over the worker, including the ability to approve or deny job changes, and permission to leave the country. This dependency creates a significant power imbalance that heightens the risk of exploitation and abusive practices.

Demographics in Saudi Arabia:

However, 38.3% of the residents (or about 13.3 million people) are non-citizens,[8] and many of them are migrant workers.

When 40%ish of the population is without basic human rights, idk what you're claiming false about my arguments

Regarding sources for North Korea, the YouTube channel "DPRK Explained" does a great job of showing the realities of North Korea. You should have a look if you're interested.

[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

You:

For example, Saudi Arabia, a widely known example of a monarchy with absolutist power, has 80% of the population composed of immigrants without rights who get stripped of their passports and get treated as slaves.

Also you:

When 40%ish of the population is without basic human rights

Wanna try again?

Then you:

There's no public healthcare

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_Saudi_Arabia

Health care in Saudi Arabia is a national health care system in which the government provides free universal healthcare coverage through a number of government agencies.

Then you also:

no infrastructure for poor people (trains, public schools, people-centered urbanism...), etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Saudi_Arabia

Public education in Saudi Arabia—from primary education through college—is open to every Saudi citizen. Education is the second-largest sector of government spending in Saudi Arabia.[7] Saudi Arabia spends 8.8% of its gross domestic product on education, which is nearly double the global average of 4.6%.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Mashaaer_Al_Mugaddassah_Metro_line

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riyadh_Metro

There are several other line being planned.

[–] Riverside@reddthat.com 1 points 1 hour ago

The 80% figure I mistook for the one of Qatar originally, which has a similar system but 88% of their population are immigrants without rights.

Every service you pointed out leaves immigrants without access, 40% of Saudi population not having access to healthcare is exactly my point. Wikipedia explicitly says this healthcare is for citizens, and when 40% are non citizens, it's a de-facto apartheid state with half the population being immensely exploited

Why are you running defense for authoritarian monarchies in the Middle East?

[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 1 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I thought it was 80% migrants? Also, except for the bit about permission to leave country (crazy, imo) that sounds like a normal work permit in many conventionally democratic countries, where employer also uses it's power over migrant workers. It might be worse in practice, of course, that depends on courts

[–] Riverside@reddthat.com 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Sorry, mistook it originally for the Qatar figure, which has a similar system and 88% migrant population.

Also, except for the bit about permission to leave country (crazy, imo) that sounds like a normal work permit in many conventionally democratic countries, where employer also uses it's power over migrant workers

When immigrant workers aren't given access to basic rights like healthcare, it's an apartheid state. You could read about it instead of speculating about the extreme levels of exploitation of those poor people.

[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 1 points 1 hour ago

My point was more along the lines of specific democracies doing almost as bad, and being a counterexample for extracting political system information from unrelated data