North Korea's most powerful woman is likely to be the next ruler
As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seeks to raise his international profile, the person who regularly been deployed from his side for the meetings with world leaders is none other than his younger sister, Kim Yo Jong.
In recent days, these appearances have taken a new significance, as rumors have surfaced that the dictator is seriously ill after a surgery. Kim Jong Un's line of succession is vague. He is thought to have had three children, but they are too young to take over the country, and his brother is reportedly incapable of leading.
This has led to speculation that Kim Jong Un is next, although a woman has never been a leader in this country.
North Korean observers have speculated that whether something had happened to Kim Jong Un as he missed the commemoration of the birthday of his grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung, on June 15.
South Korea, for its part, has repeatedly said there is no sign of “unusual developments” in the North. Moon Chung-in, the top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told CNN that the leader is “alive and well.”
Kim is thought to have been in his mid-30s, but he is a heavy smoker and some medical experts have suggested that he is obese and unhealthy. All of this means that even if Kim comes out in good health public opinion will be focused on Kim Yu-jung and others who may be ready to succeed him.
During the two summits between the United States and North Korea during the historic exhibition of diplomacy between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, Kim Yo Jong was the front and center.
She also traveled to South Korea during the 2018 Winter Olympics, becoming the first member of North Korea's ruling family to visit South Korea since the Korean War in the 1950s.
She is the youngest child of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his wife, Ko Yong Hui, a former dancer. She is thought to have been in her early 30's, probably born in 1989.
Kim Jong Il once boasted to foreign negotiators in 2002 that his youngest daughter was interested in politics and was eager to work for the North Korean government.
It's completely unclear where she was or what she was up to between 2000 and 2007. Over the years, she worked behind the scenes for her father, Kim Jong Il, and brother Kim Jong Un. She played a key role in bringing Kim Jong Un to power instead of his older brothers.
Kim Yo Jong made headlines in 2017 after rising to a higher position in his brother's government as head of the Korean Workers' Party's propaganda department. It was not just an imaginary title, but Kim Yo Jong plays a key role in controlling his brother's public image.
Some have speculated that she has made partial progress in trying to maintain his brother's empire. While she is out of the line of succession, some believe she could take over the country's leadership if something happens to Kim Jong Un before his kids are old enough to rule.
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