North Korea’s most powerful woman | DW Documentary

North Korea’s most powerful woman | DW Documentary

It really is more like a monarchy led by the Kims rather than a truly socialist country. When a country like North Korea is determined to get nuclear weapons, you can negotiate for ever, and you’re never gonna get them to give up the weapons up.

The North Koreans are trying to paint Kim Yo-jong as this fearsome, strong, bold, sometimes threatening, sometimes charming. Kim Yo-jong is the most powerful woman, not only in contemporary North Korea, but perhaps all of Korean history. Comrade Kim Yo-jong, Head of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Comrades, I want to look back on our intense fight against the pandemic. In the last 91 days, I witnessed many tragedies. The memory of these moments moves me deeply. In August 2022, Kim Yo-jong spoke at an event celebrating North Korea’s victory over COVID-19. She used the occasion to reveal that her brother

— Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un — had also contracted the virus. He had been very ill with a high fever. I can’t forget the moments when I couldn’t be of any help to the great leader, when he faced the crisis alone, sometimes bewildered and saddened. To protect the precious lives of the people,

The great leader convened daily meetings of the Party’s Central Committee. He personally came up with methods and solutions, making not just one or ten or a hundred decisions, but ten thousand. He was on the battlefield against the pandemic. He directed the fight day and night, instigating ingenious quarantine measures.

It was an emotional scene, with images of medical personnel and party officials in tears feeding the country’s propaganda machine. It was also the moment when Kim Yo-jong affirmed her position as the regime’s second in command. In the last decade, Kim Yo-jong has established herself

As a major figure in North Korea, playing a key role as tensions with the South have eased and then worsened. Her influence stems from her close relationship to her brother Kim Jong Un, but it’s also thanks to the incredible skills she’s demonstrated since entering public life. This is the story of a family.

On December 17th, 2011, Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack at the age of 70. His death triggered widespread scenes of grief, in keeping with the country’s cult of personality. Power passed to one of his sons, Kim Jong-un, who was just 28 years old and had no political experience.

He became the third Supreme Leader of this unique Communist dynasty, founded by his grandfather Kim Il-sung at the onset of the Cold War. Standing behind the new leader was a young woman also overcome by grief. She was then unknown to either North Koreans or the rest of the world.

Jean Lee is a Korean-American journalist with the Associated Press. At the time, she was the only western reporter in Pyongyang. At that point I had seen Kim Jong-un in person. I didn’t see any sign of his older brother or his younger sister. Never saw either of them at Kim Jong-il’s side

In the last year of his life, which was when I was in Pyongyang. And I was at many events with the Kim family. But I never saw Kim Yo-Jong. The young woman in tears behind the new leader attracted a lot of attention. Their father, Kim Jong-il, had kept his family secret,

Especially his five children born to three different mothers. In this patriarchal society, the role of “Dear Leader” was only for sons. In 2011, no one would have guessed that Kim Yo-jong, the new dictator’s 24-year-old sister, would play an increasingly important role in her brother’s rule.

She was kept behind the scenes for a number of years. That moment was very interesting not only because we saw this young woman but also because they were just sobbing. And those are moments where you also realize these are children, that they are young, that they didn’t necessarily have the composure.

Gradually, the young woman became a regular presence at her brother’s side. She showed up at public events, despite having no clear role. Then, she began taking on functions within the party. Finally, she assumed the Number Two role, and can even fill in for her brother if necessary —

A first for the North Korean regime. Lee Sung-yoon is a US-based researcher. He’s the author of the only biography of Kim Yo-jong. She has real power in her despotic state governed by her brother. The two siblings visibly show affection and trust. I believe Kim Yo-jong has the full confidence of Kim Jong-un.

This is extraordinary because in the very male-dominated chauvinistic culture and society that is North Korea, we have never seen such a powerful woman, a woman who is a key member of the Royal family. How did this Communist regime come to be ruled by a dynasty described

— without irony — as a “royal family”? Kim II-sung was the founder of the dynasty. He didn’t become ruler because of his family bloodline, but with the help of the Soviet Red Army, which occupied North Korea at the end of the Second World War.

He had been a guerilla leader in the anti-Japanese resistance. With Moscow’s support, he beat other contenders for the Communist leadership and was soon faced with the Korean War — the Cold War’s first conflict, involving both American and Chinese troops. North Korea managed to maintain good relations

With the two Communist powers — China and the Soviet Union — sometimes playing one against the other. The “Dear Leader” made the most of the situation. He also forged his own cult of personality, even outstripping that of Chairman Mao in neighboring China.

Before long, Kim Il-sung’s son Kim Jong-il was appearing by his side. He was considered the natural successor, chosen to succeed his father as Supreme Leader from a very young age. Gradually, with the help of perfectly executed propaganda campaigns, the family’s “royal blood” became the basis of its power.

There was no question the dynasty would continue when Kim Jong-il died, despite the fact that none of his sons had ever been involved in politics. Jeong Se-hyun served as South Korea’s Unification Minister under two presidents. When it came to the transition of power from Kim Il-sung to Kim Jong-il,

It was justified by the “bloodline of Mount Paektu”. In other words, in the minds of North Koreans, a person cannot serve as leader unless he has the “blood of Paektu” in him. All dynastic power requires a founding myth. The Kim family found theirs in Korean tradition, and the beautiful setting of Mount Paektu.

Propaganda did the rest, highlighting the Kim family’s connection to the sacred site. It is the cradle of the Korean civilization. The Kim dynasty has appropriated, taken over the symbol of Mount Paektu and justifies its despotic rule by propagating the lie, the myth,

That the family is sacred, they are saviors of the Korean people and are destined to liberate South Korea, which North Korea claims is a colony of the United States. As the third leader of the dynasty, Kim Jong-un has kept up the myth of Mount Paektu, adding a touch of modernity.

He’s been pictured riding on horseback up the snowy mountain, with his wife at his side. Above all, he’s carefully cultivated a physical resemblance to his grandfather, Kim Il-sung. Kim Jong-un has re-enacted classic scenes familiar to all North Koreans. Propaganda efforts have included visiting the wooden hut

Where his grandfather lived during the anti-Japanese resistance period. According to legend, it’s also where his father, Kim Jong-il, was conceived. The Kims in trying to extend the hereditary succession, they relied quite a bit on their traditions. I mean, it’s endlessly fascinating. And I have so many books

That show pictures of Kim Il-sung when he was younger. And you can compare them side by side with pictures of Kim Jong-un today, and they are exactly trying to replicate pictures of Kim Il-sung that the North Koreans are familiar with. The mother of Kim Jong-un and his sister, Kim Yo-jong,

Was the great love and favorite companion of their father, Kim Jong-il. Ko Yung-hee was a former dancer. She too became the subject of a cult of personality. Propaganda would always portray her as the “Respected Mother”, the most faithful and loyal subject of the “Dear Leader and Supreme Commander”.

Ko Yung-hee and Kim Jong-il had three children. The eldest, Kim Yong-chol, was not considered strong enough to succeed his father. And so, Kim Jong-un was chosen. The close relationship between Kim Jong-un and his sister goes back to their school days in Switzerland, far from their parents and the isolated inner circle of power.

Cheong Seong-chang is an expert on the Kim family. He was also an advisor to former South Korean president, Moon Jae-in. Kim Jong-un lived in Switzerland for four years, from the summer of 1996 to the beginning of 2001. So he experienced capitalism first-hand, and his sister Kim Yo-jong was with him in Switzerland.

They went to Disneyland together and traveled around Europe. Kim Yo-jong and Kim Jong-un have experienced a lot together. The close relationship probably developed here, in the Swiss capital, Bern. This is where North Korea set up its largest diplomatic mission in Europe, run by a close confidante of the Kim family.

The elegant embassy is in the diplomatic district. North Korean activity is of great interest to Swiss intelligence officials, who keep a close eye on things. This report reveals that the embassy acquired several apartments in the quiet neighborhood of Liebefeld. The apartments are in this building.

Authorities confirm that an entire community of North Koreans live here, including drivers and a cook, led by family members of the North Korean dictator. Swiss intelligence officials say North Korea has prepared a base here, in case the regime is ever toppled. But in the mid-1990s, it was clear

That the Liebefeld community had a very different purpose. Two children arrived from Pyongyang with a woman claiming to be their mother. Their surname was supposedly “Pak”. For a while, the children attended a local school. Then one day, the “Pak” family simply disappeared. The children — by then teenagers — returned to Pyongyang.

Shortly afterward, the couple who had pretended to be their parents applied for political asylum at the US embassy. It was later revealed they were the aunt and uncle of Kim Yo-jong and Kim Jong-un. They now live in exile near Washington. The Kim family is complex.

As well as the two boys and a girl born to mother Ko Yong-hee, there was also an elder half-brother, Kim Jong-nam. He was not considered for succession. Kim Jong-nam went to live abroad, distancing himself from the family dynasty. He became a problem for the regime. On February 13th, 2017,

Kim Jong-nam was at the Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia. In full view of surveillance cameras, he was approached by two women, who covered his face with a cloth containing poison. Kim Jong-nam died minutes later. When arrested, the young women said they thought they were taking part in a TV game show.

There’s no proof of direct involvement by Pyongyang, but there’s little doubt. One of the great sources of power or instruments of oppression in the North Korean political system is terrorizing the people, not only ordinary folks, but party members. This was not the first display of the North Korean leader’s ruthlessness.

Jang Song-thaek, Kim Jong-un’s powerful uncle, had been a mentor to the young leader early in his reign. He was arrested on December 9th, 2013 and executed three days later. He was accused of corruption and engaging in extra-marital affairs. It’s not just a medieval bizarre dynasty monarchy run by Kim Jong-un of course, yes,

But with his sister by his side, as if she were a co-criminal. By sealing themselves off, Kim Jong-un and his younger sister cemented their position within the state and the party. The bond of trust between the siblings helped them shore up their power. As advisor to several South Korean presidents,

Moon Chung-in has been involved in all phases of dialogue between North and South. Kim Jong-un found it difficult to oversee everything. So he divided tasks up. He delegated the things he thought were appropriate to his sister, Kim Yo-jong. She’s not exactly co-dictator. She plays more of a supporting role.

Kim Yo-jong made her first appearance on the world stage in February of 2018, during the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. In an extraordinary Olympic moment, the two Koreas put aside their hostilities. “An important moment in the Olympic history as the North and South Korean athletes enter as one team

Under the flag of the Korean Peninsula” The North Korean delegation was led by a veteran and high-ranking official, Kim Yong-nam. But the real sensation was the presence of Kim Yo-jong. It was the first time a member of the ruling family had set foot in South Korea since the peninsula was divided in 1945.

All eyes were on the Supreme Leader’s sister. At the opening ceremony, she was sitting just behind Mike Pence, the US vice-president. When the American athletes passed by, the North Korean delegation gave them an icy reception. Pence later said he was careful not to make eye contact with the young woman.

After all, she was representing a country with whom the US was still officially at war. John Bolton, U.S. National Security Advisor at the time, approves of Pence’s position. I think vice president Pence did the right thing in avoiding contact. I don’t think there was any purpose to be served by it.

This is an authoritarian regime that runs a 25 million person prison camp in North Korea. So I think the vice president actually was pursuing the right course of action there and it was a real distinction of how he saw things I think from how President Trump saw things.

According to John Bolton, the whole thing had been orchestrated by South Korean president, Moon Jae-in. Moon wanted a détente with the North and tried to force the Americans’ hand by orchestrating a meeting in the stands at the Olympic Games. President Moon Jae-in wanted to have discussions

Between North Korea and the US on the nuclear program. He was very much a sunshine policy advocate in one of its variations and people speculated about exactly what the sister’s role was because we didn’t really know. That’s a ridiculous interpretation of the events. Our administration made comprehensive attempts

To better diplomatic relations and to make the Olympics a success. Had tensions risen during the Olympics, it would have been considered a failure. So President Moon proposed what came to be known as the “Olympic Peace”. Kim Yo-jong’s visit did not stop with the opening of the Olympic Games.

It also had a political dimension. As soon as she arrived at Seoul’s international airport, the leader’s sister electrified South Korea. When North Korea announced that Kim Jong-un’s sister would visit South Korea with all of 48 hours advance notification, there was great excitement throughout South Korea. “Wow, the princess is coming.

Kim Jong-un’s own baby sister, little sister is visiting South Korea. This must be serious. Kim Jong-un must be serious about peace, reconciliation and denuclearization. At last! Peace is near.” The North Koreans were warmly received by the South Korean Unification Minister. Officially, veteran official Kim Yong-nam was head of the North Korean delegation.

But it was Kim Yo-jong’s presence that really left an impression. So Kim Yo-jong came and she held her chin up slightly at the airport in South Korea. She knew cameras were everywhere and reporters were filming her, trying to follow her every move. She wore a smile, slightly imperious, i would say,

But she held her head straight. When she was received in the VIP room, she, as she entered the room, just looked at two or three different spots, like this. She did not turn her head. She did not look excited. She looked as if she were in charge. And all this comes from training.

It was a historic moment when this daughter of the Kim family arrived at the “Blue House”, the South Korean Presidential Palace in Seoul. This extraordinary development was followed live by the South Korean public. The delegation received a warm welcome from President Moon Jae-in, who wanted to finally improve relations

With South Korea’s brothers and sisters in the North. The impression of a rapprochement was strengthened when fans cheered on a symbolic joint Korean team at an ice-hockey match against Switzerland. Everything was done to create a feeling of reconciliation. Both sides played along.

I think the reason why Kim Jong-un sent his younger sister to Seoul was because he wanted to hear what South Korea was really like. It would be difficult for North Korean officials to go to South Korea and report back honestly to Kim Jong-un. If they went to South Korea and saw something positive

And told Kim Jong-un, it could be perceived as admiration or even envy towards the South. But Kim Jong-un wanted to understand South Korea as it was, so you can see why he sent Kim Yo-jong, who could tell her brother openly about everything she saw.

The South Korean press covered Kim Yo-jong like a popstar. The media heaped praise on the young woman for not committing any faux pas while under such close scrutiny. Meanwhile, South Korean leaders tried to get a sense of the personality of this envoy from Pyongyang. They could see she was going to play

An increasingly important political role. I was able to observe Kim Yo-jong at close quarters. She was very quiet. She was afraid of making a mistake. Even though she didn’t speak much, I felt that she had a lot of authority for someone her age. She was used to being treated as a high-ranking person.

But I couldn’t see behind her mask. She tried to hide her personality as much as possible. It was as though she wanted to remain mysterious. The charm offensive worked. Every South Korean television program was giving its take on the visit, down to comparing the handbag of Hyon Song-wol,

A famous North Korean singer, with the one carried by Kim Yo-jong. Commentators concluded that the North Korean singer’s designer accessories were worth a fortune… Kim Yo-jong, meanwhile, played the down-to-earth diplomat. If North Korea had wanted to make the South forget that it was being threatened by nuclear weapons,

It couldn’t have done any better. The return to Pyongyang was triumphant. The delegation to South Korea had accomplished its mission and Kim Yo-jong, still a relative newcomer, was once again expected to follow protocol ? that is, to step out of the spotlight.

But the charm offensive in South Korea marked the beginning of her rise into the highest circles of power in Pyongyang. The warming of relations was all the more remarkable because it followed a period of high tension over Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Just a few months before the diplomatic breakthrough,

With its new focus on the North Korean economy, the political climate on the peninsula had been war-like. On September 3rd, 2017, North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test. This news was gleefully announced on state television by Ri Chun-hee, a star news anchor who came out of retirement for the occasion.

Days later, US President Donald Trump delivered a rebuke at the United Nations, rare in its aggressive tone. Now North Korea’s reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world… The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies,

We will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The exchanges between the young North Korean leader and the unpredictable US president were vigorous and blunt. But there were more and more signs of easing tensions.

Kim Jong-un now considered himself strong enough to start negotiating with Trump, the very man who had threatened to destroy him. North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear weapons test in 2017. And on November 29th, it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. In the wake of these tests, Kim Jong-un declared that

North Korea had completed development of its nuclear program. From that moment on, Pyongyang saw itself in a position of strength: “We possess nuclear weapons. We are a powerful nation. So long as you don’t attack us first, we’re willing to talk, and we can talk about everything!” That was their message.

It’s been Pyongyang’s regular strategy for a long time. They negotiate for peace while simultaneously going on the offensive. But relaying that message to Washington meant going through Seoul. The North used Kim Yo-jong’s visit to South Korea to launch the new initiative: Kim Yo-jong handed the South Korean president

A personal letter from her brother, inviting him for a meeting. After the success of Kim Yo-jong’s visit to Seoul, the next phase in the easing of tensions took place here, in the Demilitarized Zone on the 38th parallel. This border area between the two Koreas is a legacy of the Korean War,

Which took place between 1950 and 1953. The conflict ended with an armistice, but no peace treaty was ever signed. This is Panmunjom, once a village and now the site of the only crossing between the two countries. Despite being in the “Demilitarized Zone”, it’s one of the most militarized places in the world.

On April 27th, 2018, Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in staged a symbolic meeting here. It came barely two months after Kim Yo-jong’s mission to Seoul. She was also present for this historic meeting, this time in a supporting role. The two Korean leaders shook hands across the unremarkable concrete strip

That separates their countries. In this conflict, there is no stronger symbol than this place, marked by the indelible memory of war. Legitimized by her role as her brother’s confidante, Kim Yo-jong was omnipresent on North Korean state television. She collected the flowers offered by children, made sure protocol was followed to the letter,

And even took notes during talks. The delegation was visibly under her spell. And back in Seoul, a government spokesman spoke warmly about her. My impression of Kim Yo-jong was positive. At first glance, she seemed incredibly respectful, efficient and sincere. This young woman made a strong impression on me.

She wasn’t flamboyant but she expressed herself well any time she was asked something… even though she herself never asked a question. The honeymoon period continued over the following months. Moon Jae-in went to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, receiving a spectacular welcome. Once again, Kim Yo-jong was in the background,

Carefully making sure everything went according to plan. At the third North-South summit of the year, she was even allowed to greet the South Korean president personally. It turned out that this rapprochement between the two Koreas was a prelude to an even more surprising diplomatic breakthrough.

US President Donald Trump agreed to meet Kim Jong-un in Singapore. It was a historic first, organized against the advice of hawks in his administration, like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and especially National Security Advisor John Bolton. Nearly 70 years after the end of the Korean War, Kim Jong-un received from Donald Trump something

That previous US presidents had consistently denied his father and grandfather: recognition. It was an astonishing political victory. In Singapore, Donald Trump enjoyed the company of the young North Korean leader, the man whose country Trump had threatened to destroy in his speech at the UN not one year earlier. Despite their many differences

— like age, way of life, political outlook and style — the two men clearly got along well together. The two leaders signed a joint statement. In vague terms, it mentioned the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Kim Yo-jong was placed on the same level as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

She was a discreet yet capable presence at her brother’s side. These images were sure to have further legitimized her in the eyes of the North Korean public. In the presence of her brother, Kim Yo-jong, the star during her visit to South Korea, retreated into the background.

The Kim family hierarchy dictates the regime’s power structure. I don’t think any of us could have told that she was his sister unless we had seen pictures and knew who she was. She behaved like a staff person and there was no indication of a family relationship. Only Kim Jong-un spoke for North Korea,

Even at the most informal occasions, such as dinners the two delegations had together. She was at a lunch that we had the day of the negotiations. It was not really a business lunch. It was more informal but I don’t remember her saying anything during the course of the lunch.

I’m not sure I remember anybody on the North Korean side other than Kim Jong-un saying anything at the lunch. So when the Supreme Leader is present at an official meeting, his officials visibly are in fear of displeasing the Supreme Leader. Kim Yo-jong is not afraid of her brother,

But in an important public event, Kim Yo-jong would be out of place to speak unless Kim Jong-un asks her to speak. The goodwill of the Singapore Summit didn’t last long. There were two more meetings between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, in February 2019 in Hanoi, and the following June in Panmunjom,

On the line of demarcation between the two Koreas. But the diplomatic process was at an impasse. There was no agreement on denuclearization. No new agreement was signed in Hanoi, after Trump’s advisors persuaded him not to do so. The period of rapprochement seemed to be over. Trump had dreamed of diplomatic success,

But as was the case for his predecessors, these hopes were dashed by the problem of nuclear weapons. Each administration believed that they could negotiate some kind of deal with North Korea that would be acceptable both sides that would involve North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons program

And they were wrong every single time. North Korea has made multiple commitments in writing to give up its nuclear weapons program, but it never quite gets around to it. Because diplomacy had failed, military tensions mounted once again. North Korea resumed testing ballistic missiles, staging no fewer than 21 launches in 2019,

A pace that the country sustained over the following years. Once again, North Korea returned to demonstrations of force in its bid to be taken seriously. Kim Yo-jong’s role also changed. As she climbed the ranks of the Party and the power hierarchy, her rhetoric became more confrontational.

In 2018, she had charmed South Korea at the opening of the Winter Olympics. Two years later, she vowed an “apocalypse” and the destruction of the “imperialists” and their “lackeys”, meaning the US and South Korea. It does leave Kim Jong-un with the ability to hold down the fort at home.

And also when she is attributed to these extremely harsh statements against South Korea and the United States it still leaves him above it, above the fray. At the center of the policy-shift was the Inter-Korean Liaison Office, established in the North Korean border city of Kaesong. The brand-new building, paid for by South Korea,

Was inaugurated in September of 2018, amid hopes for warmer relations. The building didn’t even last a year. On June 16th, 2019, North Korea blew it up, broadcasting these images to the world. Kim Yo-jong was at the forefront of these new hostilities. She called the South Korean president “crazy” —

The very same president with whom she had initiated a détente the year before. The renewed tensions were triggered by actions from a group of dissidents who had fled to the South. The activists sent balloons across the border loaded with leaflets. Kim Yo-jong’s words were no doubt

Part of the North’s careful construction of her image. But people in the South — who had believed in the fairytale of the charming Princess from Pyongyang — were in shock. She ordered the bombing of the inter-Korean liaison office, which really damaged her reputation. In South Korean society, Kim Yo-jong is now seen

In both a positive and a negative light. You could say she represents a mixture of expectation and disappointment. The tone was now set. In Pyongyang, it was Kim Yo-jong who led the charge against the South Koreans and the United States, once again called the “imperialist enemy”.

Time and again she wrote aggressive declarations read on State television, signed using her official title: Deputy Department Director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Reverting to the traditional language of North Korean threats, she promised Americans a “retaliation that will make you lose sleep”.

She responds to South Korea’s offer of economic aid in exchange for denuclearization with the words: “Nobody barters their destiny for a bit of corn.” In August of 2021, Seoul reacted to the mounting tensions by announcing that it would resume joint military exercises with the United States.

They had been suspended during the period of warming relations. Kim Yo-jong’s response was swift and bitter. She declared that the Korean Peninsula would never see peace as long as American troops remained in South Korea. Just a few years after her visit to Seoul,

She added a personal message that she “deeply regretted” what she called the South Korean authorities’ “deceitful behavior”. The rupture was now complete. Kim Yo-jong’s words were a demand to the world that North Korea be seen and taken seriously as a nuclear power. For years, the international community had worked in vain

Towards denuclearizing the country — a goal that experts have since all but abandoned. When you have a country like North Korea determined to get nuclear weapons, you can negotiate forever and you’re never going to get them to give the weapons up. Was there a time in the past

When denuclearization of North Korea was possible? I don’t know. Nobody can answer that. I mean, Kim Jong-un would have to have his head examined if he were really willing to relinquish his nuclear arsenal, after his predecessors, his father and grandfather have spent half a century in building them.

And of course, Kim Jong-un’s legitimacy internally comes to a great extent from his decade-long legacy of having much further advanced his nation’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. Real denuclearization of North Korea is today an impossibility. Even so, Washington is not prepared to grant North Korea the status of nuclear power.

The strategic consequences would be immense, because South Korea or even Japan might then try to acquire nuclear weapons of their own. The climate of confrontation has allowed Pyongyang to justify its economic policies and exert absolute control over the population. It’s also allowed Kim Yo-jong to present herself

As an indispensable figure for the country, both in times of peace and conflict. The North Koreans are trying to paint Kim Yo-jong as this fearsome, strong, bold, sometimes threatening, sometimes charming political figure. But is she ready to step into a bigger role? She still looks like that young woman

Who understands that she has a role to play. Perhaps has those ambitions but it still has a ways to go politically in terms of that confidence and that sense of authority. At the podium, Kim Yo-jong demonstrates what skills she already has honed over the years. Her rhetoric is that of an uncompromising leader.

But just how far can she go? Could Kim Yo-jong one day rule North Korea? It’s conceivable that she could succeed her brother — especially given the persistent rumors about his significant health problems. And that’s because she is above all a Kim, descended from the mythical bloodline of Mount Paektu.

Were Kim Jong-un unable to continue ruling North Korea because of ill health, it’s very likely that Kim Yo-jong would take his place. In this society, Kim Yo-Jong, the daughter of Kim Jong-Il, has more authority than other officials. Regardless of her official title, it’s clear she is the second-in-command in North Korea.

This shift in patriarchal attitudes was underscored when Kim Jong-un presented one of his own daughters, nine-year-old Kim Ju-ae, to the public for the first time. The symbolically important move came during an intercontinental ballistic missile test in 2022, when the “young girl in red shoes” appeared beside her father.

The scene was widely publicized by North Korean media. Regardless of who succeeds the present leader, the Kim family looks set to keep its grip on power. A decade has passed since the public first glimpsed Kim Jong-il’s timid daughter. Since then, Kim Yo-jong has proven

That she truly is a child of the Kim dynasty, and North Korea’s “Red Princess”.

She’s probably the most powerful woman in North Korea: Kim Yo Jong, the dictator’s younger sister. She’s viewed as an emotionless and shrewd strategist for her brother, the North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un. But just who is the “Red Princess”?

Kim Jong Un’s rise began in 2011 when their father, the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il died at the age of 69. His death triggered emotional scenes including, at the funeral, that of a weeping woman who captured the attention of her country and the entire world: Kim Yo Jong.

This was Kim Yo Jong’s first official appearance alongside her brother Kim Jong Un, the new Supreme Leader of North Korea. Within a decade, Kim Yo Jong became the second highest ranking person in the Pyongyang regime and thereby her brother’s potential successor.

Kim Yo Jong holds a multifaceted political role: on the one hand, she knows where and when to deploy her charm — such as on a visit to South Korea in 2018. But she also issues warnings against the “imperialists” of Seoul and Washington. The documentary examines the personality and the career of the “Red Princess”. It also takes a current look behind the scenes of this totalitarian regime. The nuclear power is mired in a crisis that originated at the outset of the Cold War.

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