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Kim Yo-jong (born 26 September 1987) is the younger sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and younger daughter of late leader Kim Jong-il.

Personal life

Kim Yo-jong was born as the daughter of Kim Jong-il and his wife Ko Yong-hui on 26 September 1987. She and Kim Jong-un studied together in Switzerland from 1996 to 2000, and she may have studied at the Kim Il-sung Military University after her return. She also studied computer science at Kim Il-sung University where she is said to have studied with Kim Eun-gyong, the daughter of Japanese abductee Megumi Yokota.

In January 2015, she reportedly married Choe Song, the second son of government official Choe Ryong-hae. However, South Korean government sources have since denied the accuracy of these reports. Kim Yo-jong is expecting a child in May 2015. The father is not identified but is thought to be a fellow alumnus of Kim Il-sung university and either an official at the Workers Party's Room 39 or working at a military unit responsible for guarding the country's leader.

Career

She was first spotted at a photo session for participants at the 3rd Conference of the Workers' Party of Korea in September 2010, when she stood next to her father's personal secretary and alleged mistress Kim Ok.

Kim Yo-jong was given much publicity during the funeral service for Kim Jong-il in December 2011, when she appeared several times alongside her brother Kim Jong-un or leading funeral processions of central officials, despite not even being a funeral committee member, and she was never named. She was then reportedly given a position under the National Defence Commission at the beginning of 2012 as tour manager for Kim Jong-un, but has not appeared in news reports except for November 2012, when the Korean Central Television showed her accompanying Kim Jong-un at a military riding ground. She was officially mentioned for the first time on 9 March 2014, as she accompanied her brother in voting for the Supreme People's Assembly. Kim Yo-jong was identified as a "senior official" of the WPK Central Committee.

Sources indicate that Kim Jong-un may be grooming Kim Yo-jong to replace their aunt Kim Kyong-hui (with whom Kim Yo-jong is said to have a good relationship) in her supporting role.

In October 2014, she was reported to have possibly taken over state duties for her ailing brother while he underwent medical treatment.

On November 28, 2014, she was named vice director of the Workers Party's Propaganda and Agitation Department. Since March 2015, she has been its head. She also holds a vice ministerial post but her portfolio is not known. She regularly accompanies Kim Jong-Un on his "field guidance" trips.

On July 24, 2015, Kim Yo Jong, was made in charge of North Korea’s Propaganda and Agitation Department (PAD). As the vice director of the country’s propaganda arm, she will be in charge of developing her brother’s cult of personality. She replaced Kim Ki Nam, 89, who has run PAD since the 1990s and served the Kim dynasty since the 1960s.

v t e Select family tree of North Korea's ruling Kim family
Kim Song-ryeong 1810–1899 Kim Ung-u 1848–1878 Kim Bo-hyon 1871–1955 Kim Hyong-jik 1894–1926 Kang Pan-sok 1892–1932 Kim Jong-suk 1917–1949 Kim Il Sung 1912–1994 Kim Song-ae 1924–2014 Kim Yong-ju 1920–2021 Kim Young-sook 1947– Song Hye-rim 1937–2002 Kim Jong Il 1941?–2011 Ko Yong-hui 1952–2004 Kim Ok 1964– Kim Kyong-hui 1946– Jang Song-thaek 1946–2013? Kim Pyong Il 1954– Kim Sol-song 1974– Kim Jong-nam 1971–2017 Kim Jong-chul 1981– Kim Jong Un 1983?– Ri Sol-ju c. 1986– Kim Yo-jong 1987– Kim Han-sol 1995– Kim Ju-ae c. 2012–
Notes: To keep the tree of manageable size, it omits five out of the seven known legitimate children of Kim Il Sung. Other children not shown in the tree are: Kim Man-il (1944-1947; child of Kim Jong Suk), Kim Kyong-jin (1952-; child of Kim Song-ae), Kim Yong-il (1955-2000; child of Kim Song-ae), and Kim Kyong Suk (1951-; child of Kim Song-ae). A stillborn daughter is also omitted. Kim Il Sung was reported to have had other children with women who he was not married to; they included Kim Hyŏn-nam (born 1972). Also, only some of the descendants of Kim Jong Il and Kim Jung Un (Kim Il Sung's successors) are included. Korean names often have a variety of transliterations into English, which can be confusing. For example, "Kim Jong-chul" may also be written "Gim Jeong-cheol" or "Kim Jŏng-ch'ŏl" among many other variations. See Korean romanization for more information. Huss, Kan; Frost, Clay. "North Korea's First Family: Mapping the personal and political drama of the Kim clan". msnbc.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 20 January 2013. (Confirms many, but not all, of the birth and death years. See individual articles for more references.) Yan, Holly (16 February 2017). "The world's most mysterious family tree: Kim Jong Un's secretive dynasty is full of drama, death". Design by Alberto Mier. CNN. Retrieved 16 February 2017. Lee, Sung-Yoon (2023). "The Mount Paektu Dynasty (Family Tree)". The Sister: The extraordinary story of Kim Yo Jong, the most powerful woman in North Korea. United Kingdom: Macmillan. p. x-xi. ISBN 9781529073539. Official North Korean biographies of Kim Jong Il list his birth year as 1942. The Korean calendar is based upon the Chinese zodiac which is believed to characterize one's personality. The year 1942 (Year of the Horse), in addition to being 30 years since Kim Il Sung's birth may be viewed as a better year than others, thus creating a motive to lie about a birth year. Official North Korean biographies of Kim Jong Un list his birth year as 1982. The Korean calendar is based upon the Chinese zodiac which is believed to characterize one's personality. The year 1982 (Year of the Dog), in addition to being 70 years since Kim Il Sung's birth, may be viewed as a better year than others, thus creating a motive to lie about a birth year. Birth year for Kim Ju-ae is not publicly known. She may have been born in either late 2012 or early 2013.

References

1. ^ "Kim Yo Jong". North Korea Leadership Watch. 11 July 2013.
2. Kim Hee-Jin (March 19, 2014). "Abductee's daughter is favorite of Kim's sister". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
3. (2 January 2015) Kim Jong Un’s Little Sister Married Son of Top Regime Official, Report Says Wall Street Journal, Asia, Retrieved 16 January 2015
4. http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2015/01/02/97/0401000000AEN20150102006900315F.html
5. ^ "The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - Kim Jong-un's Sister to Have Baby in May". Chosun Ilbo. April 30, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
6. ^ "KJI Youngest Daughter Working as Events Manager for KJU?". North Korea Leadership Watch. 22 July 2013.
7. "Kim Yo-jung is believed to have studied abroad and to share her older brother's ambition". Hankyoreh. 22 July 2013.
8. "North Korea Newsletter No. 237". Yonhap News Agency. 22 November 2013.
9. "Kim Jong Un Visits Kim Il Sung University of Politics and Takes Part in Election of Deputy to SPA". Korean Central News Agency. 9 March 2014.
10. "Kim Jong-un 'preparing to purge aunt'". The Telegraph. 6 December 2013.
11. Silva, Cristina (2014-10-02). "Has Kim Yo-Jong Taken Over For Kim Jong Un? Sister Assumes North Korea State Duties While Brother Undergoes Medical Treatment". International Business Times. Retrieved 2014-10-03.
12. North Korea's 'princess' moves closer to center of power
13. "N. Korea's Kim Jong-Un executed 15 top officials: S. Korea spy agency". Yahoo! News. AFP. April 29, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
14. "Kim Jong-un's sister promoted to run 'idolisation projects' in North Korea". July 24, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

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• 1987 births
• Living people
• Workers' Party of Korea politicians
• Kim dynasty (North Korea)