logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2025
10m 32s

Why is everyone talking about Kim Jong U...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Kim Ju Ae is reportedly around 13-years-old, but she could be the next leader of North Korea. There is huge speculation about why her father, Kim Jong Un, would choose her over her siblings, and what this could mean for the future of the world’s most secretive country. So what’s going on here? And how does North Korea even choose its successors?

The BBC’s Rachel Lee breaks down everything we need to know. Plus, a very special guest (Hannah’s dad) joins us to share whether he would entrust Hannah to succeed him if he ruled a country.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Up next
Yesterday
Why some Iranian footballers have stayed in Australia
Last week, during their opening match of the AFC Asia Cup football tournament, Iran’s women’s football team refused to sing the national anthem. The move was seen as an act of defiance, as it came shortly after American and Israeli strikes had killed Iran’s supreme leader. The pl ... Show More
10m 6s
Mar 10
China’s extreme weight loss camps
Military-style weight loss camps in China are getting popular. You sign up voluntarily for a month and follow a strict daily routine, with intense exercises, mandatory trips to the scales and rules on snacking. Some people have called them “fat prisons”. So what’s it like to go t ... Show More
11m 53s
Mar 9
Who is Iran’s new supreme leader?
Iran’s state media has announced that Mojtaba Khamenei will be the country’s new supreme leader. He’ll replace his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint American and Israeli strike last week. The 56-year-old has largely kept a low profile. He has never held gov ... Show More
8m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
Kim Yo Jong - the most powerful woman in North Korea
Kim Yo-Jong is the daughter of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and youngest sister of the current leader Kim Jong-Un. As a direct descendant of the Mt Paektu bloodline, she was addressed by her parents as "Princess", and since her brother's acsention as leader has represen ... Show More
26m 54s
Jul 2019
A portrait of the mysterious Kim Jong-un
“He’s such a puzzle...and we don’t have all the answers.” As the world continues to try and figure out the puzzle that is North Korea, guest host Chris Berube talks to Anna Fifield, the Washington Post reporter who’s put together the most complete portrait leader Kim Jong-un yet. ... Show More
23m 53s
May 2025
My colleague, the scammer
North Korea has been sending young, tech-savvy operatives to pose as ordinary American job seekers. Tech reporter Bobbie Johnson investigates the scam. This episode was produced by Gabrielle Berbey, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boy ... Show More
25m 38s
Jun 2025
The Everyday American Who Hustled for North Korea
Christina Chapman presented herself as just another influencer on TikTok. In reality, she operated a “laptop farm” that allowed North Koreans to take jobs as U.S. tech workers and scam more than 300 U.S. companies out of millions of dollars. WSJ’s Robert McMillan breaks down the ... Show More
17m 43s
Sep 2025
A North Korean defector on why Kim Jong Un has sent troops to Ukraine
What does North Korea’s involvement in Ukraine mean for Kim Jong-un’s geopolitical ambitions? With Jean Lee. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus 
28m 20s
Jan 2025
Why North Korea Is Planning a Second Korean War and How to Stop It
<p>Dmitri Alperovitch sits down with Andrei Lankov, one of the west’s foremost experts on North Korea, and Sergey Radchenko, a leading Cold War historian, for a deep dive into North Korea. They discuss the threats posed by North Korea's nuclear program and possibility of a new wa ... Show More
1h 20m
Jan 2025
9. North Korea’s CIA: Inside Kim’s Crime Family (Ep 1)
How did a group of North Korean cyber criminals manage to pull off the biggest bank heist in history? Did Kim Jong Un really orchestrate the murder of his own brother? And what does it take to keep an authoritarian state afloat?  A seemingly innocuous spearfishing email lands in ... Show More
42m 53s
Apr 2018
Michelle Wolf, North Korea, Kanye West and Trump Paralympics
A portion of our Young Turks Main Show from April 30, 2018. For more go to http://www.tytnetwork.com/join.  Hour 1: Hannah Cranston, Mark Thompson, & Brooke Thomas. Michelle Wolf’s jokes at the White House Correspondents dinner and criticism for verbal bullying. Correspondents di ... Show More
36m 51s