Kim Yo Jong: North Korean Leader's Newly Promoted Sister
By Claire LEE, Sunghee Hwang
09/30/21 AT 3:59 AM Sister, adviser, and now top official: the latest promotion of Kim Yo Jong, sibling to North Korea's leader, solidifies her position in Pyongyang's circles of power, analysts say.
She has long been among Kim Jong Un's closest lieutenants and one of the most influential women in the isolated regime, and on Thursday it was made official when state media announced she had been named to the State Affairs Commission (SAC), the country's top government body.
It is a major step up from her relatively junior position as a vice department director in the ruling party, and is likely to heighten speculation that she could be a long-shot candidate to succeed her brother -- whose health is a regular topic of rumour -- in the event of his demise.
Such a transition would give the socially conservative North its first female leader, but analysts caution it would defy convention.
"Kim Jong Un has raised Kim Yo Jong's status," said Shin Beom-chul, a researcher at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.
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https://www.ibtimes.com/kim-yo-jong-north-korean-leaders-newly-promoted-sister-3307474