- Kim Jong Un’s younger sister and right-hand woman, Kim Yo Jong, is a mysterious figure whose life has piqued international curiosity.
- The 30-something woman has rapidly become North Korea’s most powerful woman, frequently seen at her brother’s side, and plays a key role in his administration.
- Some had speculated last spring that she fell out of her brother’s favor, but this month she was delegated part of her brother’s authority and essentially became “a de facto second-in-command.”
- Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.
As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sought to bolster his international standing, a figure seen by his side almost constantly during his meetings with world leaders is none other than his younger sister Kim Yo Jong.
Throughout the summer of 2020, Kim Yo Jong became the face of North Korean aggression, releasing a number of vitriolic public statements, including threats to South Korea and denouncements of North Korean defectors, whom she called “human scum.”
South Korea’s intelligence agency recently revealed that Kim Jong Un delegated part of his authority to his sister, along with other close aides, in a major power shift meant to lower his stress levels and shift blame in case of policy failures.
Her growing profile has taken on a new significance in recent months, amid questions over who could take over the country’s leadership if Kim Jong Un grew ill or died. His line of succession is hazy – he is believed to have three children, but they are too young to take control over the country, and his brother has reportedly been deemed unfit to lead.
Recent developments have prompted speculation that Kim Yo Jong is next in line, though the country has never had a female leader.
During the two summits between the US and North Korea, Kim Yo Jong was front and center during the historic show of diplomacy between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump.
She also traveled to South Korea during the 2018 Winter Olympics, becoming the first member of North Korea's ruling family to visit the south since the Korean War in the 1950s.
Like her brother, and much of the rest of their family, few details are known about Kim Yo Jong and the life she lived before reaching a prime leadership role in the North Korean government.
Here's what we know about North Korea's most powerful woman.
Like many of Kim's family members, Kim Yo Jong's exact age is difficult to pin down. But she's believed to be in her early 30s, likely born in 1989.
She's the youngest child of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his consort, Ko Yong Hui, a former dancer.
Source: Business Insider
She was partly educated in Switzerland at the same school Kim Jong Un attended. But she returned to North Korea in 2000 after completing the US equivalent of the sixth grade.
Kim Yo Jong as a girl: this is the earliest photo we have of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister, taken while she was at school in Switzerland. pic.twitter.com/LrDFgGBzdt
— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) February 8, 2018
Source: North Korea Leadership Watch
Kim Yo Jong appeared destined for a powerful career from a young age. Kim Jong Il once bragged to foreign interlocutors in 2002 that his youngest daughter was interested in politics and eager to work in North Korea's government.
Source: North Korea Leadership Watch
It's completely unclear where she was or what she was up to between 2000 and 2007.
Source: North Korea Leadership Watch
In the following years, she conducted a lot of behind-the-scenes work for her father, Kim Jong Il, and brother Kim Jong Un. She played a particularly significant role in helping Kim Jong Un take over instead of his older brothers.
Source: North Korea Leadership Watch
Her first public appearance was in 2011 at Kim Jong Il's funeral.
Kim Yo Jong's first recorded public appearance: The North Korean princess appeared among the mourners at her father's funeral at the end of 2011. pic.twitter.com/GWPw4dgbZU
— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) February 8, 2018
Source: Washington Post
Kim Yo Jong made headlines in 2017 after she was promoted to a top position in her brother's government: the head of the propaganda department of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Source: The New York Times
That's not just a fancy title — Kim Yo Jong plays a crucial role in controlling her brother's public image.
Kim Yo Jong's role in the North Korean regime is not just ceremonial. She's actually working, protecting the image of her brother Kim Jong Un and making sure that everything runs smoothly. pic.twitter.com/hWsQnPIZzr
— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) February 8, 2018
Source: The Washington Post
In public, Kim Yo Jong appears to have greater freedom than other top government officials in North Korea, occasionally appearing in photographs unaccompanied, rather than constantly being in the presence of Kim Jong Un.
Source: The New York Times
Some have speculated that she was promoted partly in an effort to continue Kim Jong Un's dynasty. While she's 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.
Sources: The New York Times, The Washington Post
It wouldn't be an unprecedented role for her, either. Kim Yo Jong once briefly took control of the country's affairs while her brother was ill in 2014, according to a South Korean think tank run by North Korean defectors.
Source: CNN
She stepped onto the world stage in February 2018. In a rare show of diplomacy between the two Koreas, Kim Yo Jong traveled to South Korea for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Everyone's eyes were on Kim Yo Jong at the start of the games. She shared a historic handshake with South Korean President Moon Jae In, and both broke out in smiles.
Source: Business Insider
During the opening ceremony, she sat right behind US Vice President Mike Pence, second lady Karen Pence, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Kim Yo Jong and Pence did not speak with each other.
Source: Business Insider
Her interaction with South Korean leaders was a rare show of diplomacy and warmth. Given her experience in propaganda, she likely knew exactly what she was doing to try and curry favorable attention.
Source: Business Insider
In April 2018, she played a crucial role in the peace talks between the two Koreas. Leaders from the two nations met at the Demilitarized Zone, and Kim Yo Jong was notably the only woman at the table.
Though she stayed well away from the spotlight, leaving that to her brother, it was clear Kim Yo Jong played a significant role in orchestrating the talks and ensuring the day ran smoothly.
She was her brother's right-hand woman when he and Trump signed the agreement acknowledging North Korea's intentions to denuclearize.
Source: Business Insider, The Washington Post, White House
Kim Yo Jong sparked curiosity at one point, when she switched out the pen that was provided for the summit with her own ballpoint pen. It's unclear why she swapped the pens, but some have speculated that it was for security reasons.
Anyone else spot this? There were two "Donald Trump" signing pens, NK official came in and shined up the one for Kim, then at the last minute Kim Yo Jong pulled out her own per to use instead of the one provided. Kim used that and back it went in her blazer. (Pool video) pic.twitter.com/dZWEK22IdF
— Martyn Williams (@martyn_williams) June 12, 2018
Sources: Twitter/@martyn_williams, BBC
She made headlines in February 2019 when she was seen holding her brother's ashtray while he smoked during their train journey to Hanoi, Vietnam.
Kim Yo Jong was featured prominently in the preparations for her brother's talks with Trump, often rushing ahead to make sure everything was ready.
She even went viral at one point when she seemed to be hiding in the plants as Kim Jong Un met with the US president at the Metropole Hotel.
An incredible addition to annals of “Where’s Kim Yo Jong?” from @nknewsorg’s @chadocl. pic.twitter.com/9zZSUAnsL2
— Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) February 28, 2019
Source: Twitter
It has become increasingly clear over the past several years that Kim Yo Jong was one of her brother's most trusted officials, and her power in the regime was only growing.
But in the Hermit Kingdom, no one's position is ever truly secure under the mercurial leadership of Kim Jong Un. He's known for turning on family members quickly when they fall out of favor — and it remains to be seen whether Kim Yo Jong is an exception.
Kim Yo Jong was not listed as an alternate member of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea politburo — the party's top decision-making body — and did not appear at any high-profile events during an important party gathering in April 2019.
Sources: Business Insider, NK News
She also missed a meeting between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin later that month, fueling speculation that she had been demoted.
Source: Business Insider
One theory is that Kim Jong Un ordered her to lie low after his failed summit with Trump in February 2019.
Sources: Business Insider, The Guardian
But in early June 2019, Kim Yo Jong was spotted for the first time in 52 days, suggesting she was back in her brother's good graces.
Source: Business Insider
In October 2019, North Korean media released strange photos of Kim Jong Un riding a white horse atop a mountain with historic and symbolic significance. She rode a horse at his side.
Source: Business Insider
Experts told Business Insider that the photos are packed with political meaning — and could foreshadow a frightening military advancement.
Source: Business Insider
Since then, her profile has only grown. In March 2020, Kim Yo Jong made her first-ever public statement, insulting South Korea as a "frightened dog barking" after the country condemned one of North Korea's live-fire military drills. "Such incoherent assertion and actions… only magnify our distrust, hatred and scorn for the South side as a whole," Kim Yo Jong said in the statement.
Source: The Guardian.
The following month, Kim Yo Jong was reinstated as an alternate member of the Workers' Party of Korea politburo, suggesting that all has been forgiven since the collapse of last year's summit.
Sources: KCNA, AFP
In June 2020, Kim Yo Jong was behind a number of fiery statements escalating tensions with South Korea, including a recent vow promising a "tragic scene" at the liaison office building between North Korea and South Korea. Just days later, North Korea blew up the empty building.
Source: Yonhap News Agency
Kim Yo Jong later released another statement deriding reports of North Korean defectors who spread anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. She called them "human scum little short of wild animals" and "mongrel dogs," and threatened that South Korea would "pay a dear price" if they allowed the leaflet-spreading to continue.
Source: KCNA Watch
She also attacked South Korea's leader, saying it was "sickening to listen to his speech" that urged peace between the two Koreas. "He seems to be insane, though he appears to be normal outwardly."
Source: The New York Times
Given these recent developments, it's clear that Kim Yo Jong's power has grown tremendously in recent years, fueling speculation that no other family members besides her could take over.
In August 2020, South Korean intelligence revealed that she has been delegated more authority from her brother in a major power shift meant to "relieve [Kim Jong Un's] stress from his reign and avert culpability in the event of policy failure."
Source: Yonhap News Agency
One South Korean lawmaker said Kim Yo Jong is now "a de facto second-in-command." Though the power shift doesn't mean she's been chosen as her brother's successor, the move reveals that "Chairman Kim Jong Un is still maintaining his absolute authority, but some of it has been handed over little by little," the intelligence agency said.
Source: Yonhap News Agency, Reuters
Experts have agreed that Kim Yo Jong's recent tactics have cemented her reputation within North Korea as a strong and decisive leader who could replace her brother if necessary. "As she leads the offense against South Korea like a general, it silences those old hard-liners in the Politburo who may think she cannot be the leader," Sejong Institute analyst Lee Seong Hyon told The New York Times.
Source: The New York Times
