Former lawmaker Tae Young-ho in dialogue at the University of Cambridge, UK [Cambridge=Yonhap News]

Tae Young-ho, a former member of the People Power Party and a former North Korean diplomat who defected, analyzed that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been preparing his daughter Ju-ae as his successor from an early age to avoid uncertainty in the succession line, unlike in the past.

During a dialogue at the University of Cambridge's Centre of Development Studies on the 21st (local time), Tae stated, "Unlike Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, who did not determine their successors early on, Kim Jong-un likely wanted to avoid ambiguity within his generation and ensure his daughter would be accepted as the next leader."

Tae pointed out that North Korea revised the "10 Principles for the Establishment of the Party's Ideological System" in 2013, the year of Ju-ae's birth.

He explained, "Kim Jong-un added a clause to the 10 Principles stating that the bloodline of Baekdu must be passed down eternally. There was no mention of gender," adding, "With Ju-ae's birth, the party principles shifted to bloodline inheritance, and this has been taught for 10 years to prepare for Ju-ae's emergence."

He further commented, "However, given Ju-ae's young age, she cannot officially qualify within the party, so preparations are likely underway to establish her position as the next leader among the North Korean people."

These remarks came as the dialogue focused on the possibility of Ju-ae succeeding Kim Jong-un. Professor John Nilsson-Wright, who moderated the session, along with former Ambassador to North Korea John Everard and former Deputy Ambassador to North Korea James Hoare, who were in the audience, also posed questions on the matter.

Tae predicted that the alliance between North Korea and Russia, forged through the Ukraine war, would continue in the future.

He stated, "Putin was able to easily secure 10,000 well-trained North Korean soldiers with technology like small, used nuclear reactors for submarines and reconnaissance satellites," adding, "If another war breaks out in the future, North Korea will be needed, if only to avoid deploying their own young generation."

Tae defected in the summer of 2016 while serving as a minister-counselor at the North Korean embassy in the UK. He later served as a member of the National Assembly and the head of the Secretariat of the National Unification Advisory Council.

He also shared his experience accompanying Kim Jong-chol, the elder brother of Kim Jong-un, on a trip to the UK to attend an Eric Clapton concert. He speculated, "Kim Jong-chol seemed to like Clapton so much because he projected his own personal frustrations onto Clapton's tragic narrative. He likely had frustrations about not being chosen as the successor."

Tae Young-ho (right), former lawmaker, speaks at a dialogue held at the University of Cambridge, UK, on the 21st (local time). [Yonhap News] 

This is Tae's second visit to the UK since his defection. In October 2022, he made a brief visit to the South Korean Embassy in London for a parliamentary audit as a member of the National Assembly. For this visit, 10 years after his defection, he was accompanied by his wife, Oh Tae-sun.

Tae told Yonhap News after the dialogue that he visited the North Korean Embassy in London for the first time in 10 years since his defection on the 17th, shortly after arriving in the UK.

"The embassy gate was firmly shut. I didn't press the bell because it could be a violation of the National Security Act," he said. "I also wondered what my friends inside (North Korean diplomats) would think if they saw me."

Tae also received personal questions from students, such as "Are you happy after defecting?" He replied, "I am very happy. The 10 years in South Korea haven't been easy, but I have enjoyed freedoms I could never have had before."