Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, became “second in command”, taking over the conduct of relations with South Korea and the United States, according to the South Agency Korean spy.
Since accompanying his brother to last year’s summit with US President Donald Trump in Vietnam, Kim Yo-jong has risen in the ranks of the ruling party. Deputy Ha Tae-keung, who sits on the South Korean National Assembly’s information commission, confirmed that Kim Jong-un has given a certain degree of authority to the younger sister.
“The fundamental issue is that Kim Jong-un still has absolute power, but he has given up a little more of his authority compared to the past,” said the parliamentarian, quoted by the newspaper “The Guardian”. However, he added, there are no signs that Kim Yo-jong is being prepared to take the North Korean leadership or that his brother is in poor health despite rumors about this second point.
Ha Tae-keung also revealed that the North Korean leader, in power since he succeeded his father in 2011, also delegated some powers in making economic and military decisions to other officials.
Kim Yo-jong made his first public statement in March, equating his southern neighbor with “a frightened dog to bark” after Seoul protested a Pyongyang military exercise. He also praised Trump for sending a letter to his brother in which he said he hoped to maintain good bilateral relations and offered help in managing the coronavirus pandemic.
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