What’s in a name? In North Korea, everything!

Pyongyang: People named ‘Ju-ae’ in North Korea will now be required to change their names as part of the regime’s effort to isolate leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Ju-ae , from the rest, according to The Korea Times. Multiple anonymous sources told Radio Free Asia that authorities in the country are forcing people named Ju-ae to change their names. A source said, “The safety department of Chongju, North Pyongan Province, on February 8 summoned women who are registered under the name of Ju-ae and ordered them to change their names.”

Ju-ae, who is believed to be 10 years old, has recently made public appearances with her father Kim during North Korea’s military parade. Her presence in the public space has raised questions over the possibility of her succeeding Kim as the country’s next leader. Authorities are hunting down Ju-ae’s namesakes and forcing them to change their names because the “supreme leader’s noble daughter” is named Ju-ae leading them to issue internal orders to “eliminate the use of such names”. Another source revealed that the public safety department in Pyongsong located in South Pyongyang Province has ordered local leaders to ensure women named Ju-ae change their names within a week. An age-old practice This is not the first time North Korea has prohibited people from carrying the same name as a leader or someone from the leader’s family. The practice of forcing people to change their names is a part of the regime’s effort to respect their leaders. During the rule of Kim Jong-un ’s father Kim Il-sung, people were banned from possessing Il-sung’s name. In 2014, authorities ordered anyone who shared the name Kim Jong-un to change it. Furthermore, people were also restricted from using the name for newborns and those who already had it were ordered to amend their birth certificates. About Ju-ae Last year, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that Kim Jong-un attended the launch of an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) “together with his beloved daughter and wife.” The pictures released by KCNA marked the first official confirmation of the existence of the North Korean leader’s daughter. At the time, Soo Kim, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) told AFP, “To introduce his daughter to the world at this juncture could be designed to send an international message that the North Korean regime is here to stay.” “In a way, it’s a symbolic picture of Kim passing the sceptre of rule to the next generation. The photos also suggest a degree of closeness and comfort between Kim and his daughter”, which could indicate that she is being groomed for future leadership,” added Soo Kim. After the recent appearance, Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul said, ““By ostentatiously including his wife and daughter, Kim wants observers at home and abroad to see his family dynasty and the North Korean military as irrevocably linked.” Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .