Does Kim Yo Jong Have Any Children?
As rumors run rampant about North Korea leader Kim Jung Un's health, one of the biggest questions swirling around is: If something happens to the dictator, who will become the new leader of North Korea?
After Kim Jung Un failed to show for the April 15, 2020 commemoration of the birthday of his grandfather, North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung, for the first time since taking power in 2011, people started speculating that something may be wrong, Time reported. His absence at the event, plus a slew of unconfirmed reports of declining health, have led many to think his days could be numbered.
As a result, there's a lot of speculation surrounding who would succeed Kim Jung Un, but the name that keeps appearing at the top of experts' lists is Kim Yo Jong, his younger sister. So, who is she?
Like her brother, not much is known about Kim Yo Jong. She's believed to be in her early or mid-30s and one of Kim Jung Un's closest and most trusted advisors. "She is, as best we can tell, a very capable and high-skilled member of the North Korean leadership—and is not one to underestimated by any stretch of the imagination," Harry J. Kazianis, senior director of Korean Studies at the Washington D.C.-based Center for the National Interest, told Time.
Kim Yo Jong's personal life is as incredibly private as her brother's
As mentioned, North Korea leader Kim Jung Un is reportedly in failing health — and the most likely successor is his younger sister, Kim Yo Jong. Kim Yo Jong is reportedly married to Choe Song. According to Time, 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 Korea Leadership Watch (via Time).
At this time, there have been no confirmed sightings or reports of Kim Yo Jong having any children. However, Business Insider reported that her brother has three children, though their birthdays and names are estimated and only guesses. In other words, this family keeps their personal lives super private.
According to Fox News, Kim Yo Jong's first public appearance was in 2011 at her father's funeral. She's been spotted occasionally since then, including an appearance in 2018 when she went with her brother to meet South Korean leader Moon Jae-in during a historic summit.
If she succeeds her brother, it's been suggested she'll rule similarly harshly. In fact, Fox News reported that U.S. officials put her on a blacklist in 2017 for human rights abuses.