Kim Yo Jong

The 'Mount Paektu bloodline' is the official North Korean propaganda term for the ruling dynasty that has devastated the North Korean people for more than 70 years. It details how Kim Il Sung, Kim Yo Jong’s grandfather and the country’s founder, used Korea’s highest mountain as a staging area for guerrilla operations to defeat the Japanese colonial masters in 1945. This narrative serves as the ideological foundation of the Kim family’s rule.

Kim Yo Jong, the youngest child of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his consort, Ko Yong-hui, was born in Pyongyang on September 26, 1987. She spent most of her early childhood at her mother's residence and later studied in Switzerland under the assumed name 'Pak Mi-hyang'.

In 1998, one of Kim Yo Jong and Kim Jong Un's aunts defected to the United States, which is considered a significant event in the context of North Korean politics and society.

In 2007, Kim Yo Jong was appointed as a junior cadre in the ruling Korean Workers’ Party (WPK). This marked an important step in her political career.

Kim Yo Jong received much publicity during the funeral service for Kim Jong Il in December 2011, appearing alongside Kim Jong Un and leading groups of senior party officials in bowing at her father's casket.

At the beginning of 2012, Kim Yo Jong was reportedly given a position at the National Defence Commission as tour manager for her brother, Kim Jong Un, arranging his itineraries, schedule, logistical needs, and security arrangements.

In March 2014, Kim Yo Jong received her first official mention in state media when she accompanied her brother in voting for the Supreme People's Assembly and was named a 'senior official' of the WPK Central Committee.

In October 2014, Kim Yo Jong was reported to have taken over state duties for her brother while he underwent medical treatment.

In November 2014, Kim Yo Jong was appointed First Deputy Director of the party's Propaganda and Agitation Department.

Kim Yo-jong reportedly gave birth to a child in May 2015.

In July 2015, reports described Kim Yo Jong as playing the role of de facto leader of the Propaganda and Agitation Department, responsible for 'assisting in consolidating Kim Jong-un's power' by implementing 'idolisation projects'.

Kim Yo Jong served as an alternate member of the WPK’s Politburo from October 8, 2017, to January 2021. There is uncertainty regarding the capacity in which she served in this position, with speculation of demotion and reinstatement. As of January 2021, she no longer holds this position. She has also been alternately listed as “first vice department director” to “vice department director” of the Politburo.

Ko Yong Hui, the mother of Kim Yo Jong and Kim Jong Un, was born in Japan, which is one of the hidden secrets of the Kim family and holds importance in understanding the family's background.

Kim Yo-jong attended the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Pyeongchang, South Korea, marking the first visit of a member of the ruling Kim dynasty to South Korea since the Korean War. She met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and revealed that she was dispatched as a special envoy of Kim Jong Un, delivering a personally written letter from Kim to Moon.

Kim Yo-jong met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, disclosing that she was sent as a special envoy of Kim Jong Un and delivered a personally written letter from Kim to Moon.

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, attended a wreath laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi on March 2, 2019.

Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, has emerged as a key figure in North Korea's political apparatus, gaining international attention in 2018 when she was the first member of the Kim dynasty to visit South Korea during the Winter Olympics.

On September 30, 2021, North Korea’s state-run media announced that Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un, has become a member of the State Affairs Commission (SAC), the highest official position she has held within the country’s ruling body.

Dr. Sung-Yoon Lee will be discussing his book, The Sister: North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, the Most Dangerous Woman in the World, providing insights into the enigmatic figure of Kim Yo Jong and her influence in North Korea.

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi on March 2, 2019.

Kim Yo Jong has risen to prominence as a significant figure in North Korean politics, being described as Kim Jong Un's 'most trusted' and 'closest advisor'. Her increasing role in international diplomacy and her potential succession as a leader have drawn attention to her growing power within the regime.

Russian President Putin giving a luxury limousine to Kim Jong-Un was considered a violation of UN sanctions on North Korea. This incident occurred on February 20, 2024.

Kim Jong-Un received a luxury limousine from Russian President Putin, which signifies the expanding ties between North Korea and Russia. This event took place on March 15, 2024.