We May See End of Kim Regime Sooner Than Expected

The National Intelligence Service (NIS), South Korea's spy agency, has disclosed that North Korea has heightened security measures for Kim Jong Un due to fears of possible assassination attempts. These measures include utilizing communications jamming vehicles and preparing drone detection equipment.

The assessment of the NIS indicates the current vulnerability of the Kim regime. The increased security precautions surrounding Kim Jong Un also suggest his worry about the military, given that most assassination attempts are expected to come from armed military personnel.

As evidence, North Korean state media released a peculiar photo on September 13, showing special operations forces engaging in target practice under the watchful eye of Kim Jong Un's armed bodyguards as he observed from a distance. (See image below)

The photo shows that Kim Jong Un is ramping up his personal security measures due to his fear of a possible rogue attack from his military. This serves as proof of the level of fear and insecurity that Kim is currently facing, especially from his own military.

Kim's situation has been exacerbated by his recent decision to send North Korean troops to Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine. The NIS said that there is "internal unrest" among North Korean residents and soldiers after the deployment, causing the Kim regime to tighten control over its population. The NIS stated, "We have learned that military officers are prohibited from using cellphones and soldiers lie about their deployment to their families...North Korea is intensifying security measures for its leader Kim Jong-un out of concerns for a potential assassination plot."

As news about the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia spreads among North Korean citizens despite the regime's attempts to censor it, it will quickly boost dissatisfaction and grievances among the military personnel and their families. They will come to realize that their leader has basically sold North Korean soldiers, many of whom are in their teens or twenties, for financial gain and military technology in order to maintain his regime's survival.

With future reports of death and injury among North Korean soldiers in Russia reaching the country, it is likely that there will be a rise in assassination attempts on Kim Jong Un by his own military.

In the past, there were a series of assassination attempts on Kim Jong Un, his father, and his grandfather, all of which obviously failed. However, the current situation is quite different as Kim Jong Un has abandoned his soldiers by selling them to Russia as cannon fodder, something that has never happened in the country's history. This brutal action has pushed Kim beyond the red line of tolerance for the North Korean people towards their cruel dictator.

South Korea, its allies, and the international community must be ready for a contingency in which Kim Jong Un suddenly disappears and his regime crumbles, which is now more likely to happen than ever. We may see the end of the Kim regime sooner than expected.

Author: B.J. Choi, founder of NVNK, obtained his Master's degree in Asian Studies from the George Washington University. He previously worked for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWICS) on North Korea issues.