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Will she take his place if the rumors about Kim Jong Un's death are true?
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Apr 25, 2020
In the wake of the rumors about Kim Jong Un's death as a result of a botched heart operation — though, it should be once again stressed that the White House has not yet issued an official statement around the North Korean dictator's death, or the cause thereof, and so the rumors are presumptive at this point — rumors are now also swirling about who could take his place if, indeed, the rumors about his demise are true.
While rumors are certainly abounding that Kim Jong Un's uncle, Kim Pyong-Il, will take over as the Supreme Leader of North Korea, there are just as many rumors that suggest that the title will go to Kim Jong Un's younger sister.
Who is Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo-Jong?
Let's take a look at what we know about her.
She is relatively young, but has had a life filled with politics.
Born on September 26, 1987, Kim Yo-Jong is only 32 years old, but she's had a life filled with politics seemingly from birth. She officially joined the Worker's Party of Korea in 2007, and served as the secretary to her father, Kim Jong-Il, until his death in 2011. Educated in Switzerland, Kim Yo-Jong continued her career in politics under her brother, Kim Jong Un, serving as one of his closest and most trusted advisers.
Bollywood celebrities have referred to her as a "female villain."
While little is known about Kim Yo-Jong in the West, her reputation precedes her in the East. Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma referred to her as a "female villain" in a recent tweet, and implied that she's even more "brutal" than her brother in her leadership style. He also suggested that Kim Yo-Jong is so brutal that she actually paid Kim Jong Un's heart surgeon to botch the operation, thus putting her in a position to take over from her brother.
Kim Yo-Jong has a strained relationship with Donald Trump.
While Donald Trump's relationship with Kim Jong Un has been well-publicized, it's his relationship with Kim Yo-Jong that's worth even more scrutiny. Political reports suggest that the relationship between the two is strained and that unlike her brother, Kim Yo-Jong doesn't seem to want to give any concessions to any nuclear disarmament talks between the United States and North Korea.
Little is known about her private family life.
There is only a smattering of details available about Kim Yo-Jong's private life. In 2015, she is said to have married Choe Song, whose father is a government official in North Korea, and in 2018, she is said to have had a child by him. However, the official "party line" from the North Korean government disputes these reports.
Kim Jong Un's children are too young to take over.
Under the order of succession, Kim Jong Un's children should be taking over from their father in the event of his demise. However, because they are too young to assume the responsibility of leadership, Kim Yo-Jong would take over.
If Kim Yo-Jong succeeds her brother, she would be the first female leader of North Korea.
Kim Yo-Jong's succession to the throne — if, indeed, Kim Jong Un is dead — will be historic, because she will be the first female leader of North Korea. However, she may not rule the country alone — there are some reports that suggest that she will rule alongside her uncle, Kim Pyong-Il.
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We will definitely keep you posted if, indeed, Kim Yo-Jong ascends the throne in North Korea.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.