Could Kim Yo-Jong Become The "First Female Dictator" Of North Korea?

As the speculations over the death of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un gain momentum, an inevitable question hangs in the air. Who will succeed him? Since the Kim family has been ruling the country for the last 70 years, if at all Jong-un has passed away, he must be succeeded by a blood relative. And the top contender her is his sister Kim Yo-jong, as Jong-un's children are said to be too young to rule. So who is Kim Yo-jong? And will she manage to gain control of North Korea, thus becoming the first-ever "female dictator" of the nation, as pointed out by many on social media? Just why are so many backing Yo-jong as the most probable replacement of Kim Jong-un?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Ruler of North Korea, Kim Jong-un is rumoured to be in poor health after he did not attend a key state anniversary event on April 15. 
• Kim Jong-un became the ruler of North Korea when his father Kim Jong-II died in 2011.
• Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong is at the frontline in the race to replace him as the leader of North Korea.
• She represented her brother at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
  
  

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Who Is Kim Yo-jong?

Kim Jong-un's family has been ruling North Korea for the last 70 years. Thus, it is clear that he'll be replaced only by a blood relative. There is little or no information available about his children, however, they are said to be too young to replace him. Therefore, his sister Kim Yo-jong appears to be the most suitable candidate, as she is not only the most popular figure in the country after Jong-un but is also known to be ambitious. Yo-jong played a key role in the US-North Korea Summit.

Yo-jong is four years younger than her brother. It is said that she used to attend school with her brother in the late 1990s at Berne, Switzerland, closely guarded by North Korean guards. She has a degree in computer science degree from Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang. In fact, it is she who is known to have arranged Jong-un's succession after their father suffered two strokes in 2008.

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A trusted  and popular candidate

How trusted she is by the North Korean leader is evident from the fact that she not only represented him at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. According to Youngshik Bong, a research fellow at Yonsei University’s Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul, publishing of political statements under Yo-jong's name underlines the fact that Kim Jong-un himself is ready to allow his sister to replace him. “It is revealing that Kim Jong-un permitted her to write and announce a scathing statement about South Korea in such a personal tone,” Bong said.

According to Leonid Petrov, a North Korea specialist and senior lecturer at the International College of Management in Sydney, “She is not associated with his purges of military brinkmanship but knows all about them. She is a trusted political figure who helps Kim maintain a positive public image when he is dealing with foreigners or South Koreans.”

Other possible candidates to replace Jong-un are Kim Jong Chol, an estranged brother who is said to be not interested in public life, as well as some other party elders.The possibility Yo-jong becoming first "female dictator" of north Korea seems to have caught the fancy of social media. However as journalist Alana Mastrangelo pointed out in her tweet, that may not be something to look forward to. "Be careful what you wish for when it comes to Kim Jong Un. Kim Yo Jong is the director of North Korea’s “Propaganda and Agitation” department — the driving force behind the propaganda that promotes her brother as a heroic leader. She’ll be worse."

Picture Credit- Abc.net

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