As rumors spread about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jung Un, one of the most important questions is: if something happens to the dictator, who will become the new leader of North Korea?
After Kim Jung Un failed to show up for the April 15, 2024 commemoration of his grandfather’s birthday, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung, for the first time since he took office in 2011, people began to speculate that something could be wrong, reported time . His absence from the event, plus a series of unconfirmed reports of deteriorating health, have led many to think that his days may be numbered.
As a result, there is a lot of speculation about who will succeed Kim Jung Un, but the name that continues to appear at the top of the expert rosters is Kim Yo Jong, his younger sister. So who is she?
Like her brother, not much is known about Kim Yo Jong. He is believed to be in his early 30s and is one of Kim Jung Un’s closest and most trusted advisers. “She is, as we can best say, a very capable and highly qualified member of the North Korean leadership, and she is not a person who is underestimated by any stretch of the imagination,” Harry J. Kazianis, senior director of Korean Studies at the Washington, DC-based Center for National Interest said Hora .
Kim Yo Jong’s personal life is as incredibly private as his brother’s.
Pool / Getty ImagesAs mentioned, North Korean leader Kim Jung Un has health problems, and the most likely successor is his younger sister Kim Yo Jong. Kim Yo Jong is reportedly married to Choe Song. According to Hora , Song is believed to be the son of Choe Ryong Hae, “one of the most powerful officials in [North Korea’s] formal hierarchy”, according to North Korean Leadership Clock (via Hora )
At this time, there have been no confirmed sightings or reports that Kim Yo Jong has children. However, Business Insider reported that his brother has three children, although their birthdays and names are estimated and only guesses. In other words, this family keeps their personal life super private.
According to Fox News , Kim Yo Jong’s first public appearance was in 2011 at his father’s funeral. Since then, they have seen her occasionally, including an appearance in 2018 when she went with her brother to meet with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in during a historic summit.
If he succeeds his brother, it has been suggested that he will rule similarly harshly. In fact, Fox News reported that US officials blacklisted her in 2017 for human rights abuses.
