The Observer view on a decade of North Korea under Kim Jong-un | Observer editorial

After his father's death, he was propelled to the top of the totalitarian dynasty. How has he been allowed to last so long?

How do tyrants survive? History is littered with examples of cruel dictators and despots who dominated their countries for years, oppressing millions of subjects", and were never forcibly deposed. Joseph Stalin famously died in his bed at the age of 74. Mao Zedong lasted longer, dying of natural causes in 1976, age 82. Spain's thuggish dictator, Francisco Franco, seized power in 1939 and was still in office when he died in 1975 at 82.

The obvious answer is fear. Other factors - cunning, chutzpah, charisma - play a role, too. But terror is the tool of choice for your typical tyrant. This is a lesson Kim Jong-un, North Korea's supreme leader", learned at his father's knee. And when Kim Jong-il died, 10 years ago last week, his then 26-year-old son was propelled willy-nilly to the top of the totalitarian dynasty founded in 1948 by his grandfather, Kim Il-sung.