Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong threatens South Korea: 10 points on the Dictator's sister
North Korea’s Dictator Kim Jong-un may look like a rotund, funny cartoon character, but he, unfortunately, holds nuclear weapons in his hands. But there’s another person scarier than Kim, and that’s his sister Kim Yo-jong, considered to be No 2 in the North Korean leadership. And Kim Yo-jong doesn’t look anything like a cartoon character.
Kim Yo-jong has made her presence known after a while. In fact, she issued two threats to South Korea in the past three days.
A SHORT TIMELINE:
April 1, 2022: South Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook said that his country has the ability to make precision strikes to hit any target in North Korea, while talking about the communist country’s recent missile tests. It needs to be noted that this kind of public statement for a South Korean top official is rare.
April 3, 2022: Kim Jong-un’s sister Kim Yo-jong swiftly hit back at Suh Wook for his comments, calling him a ‘scum-like guy’, claiming that the comments were reckless. She also said that Seoul should ‘discipline’ itself to avoid a disaster.
April 5, 2022: The rant didn’t seem to end there, as North Korea’s powerful sister once again threatened South Korea, this time to completely leave its neighbour in ruin and annihilation if it strikes them first. She added that North Korea doesn’t want war and won’t fire even a bullet at its neighbour, but if it is provoked, then it will destroy its enemy.
Whew... that’s some threat to digest from a rogue nation bent on stockpiling nuclear weapons.
But who exactly is Kim Yo-jong? And should the world be worried?
1. Since Kim Yo-jong became known publicly, netizens have weighed in on who is more dangerous - Kim Jong-un or his sister. And it has always been the newcomer - Kim Yo-jong. We wonder why! Probably it has to do something about the evil sibling trope, where the more docile-looking sibling is considered to be the actual menace.
2. Kim Yo-jong first came into the global limelight in 2018 when she represented her brother at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. After that, she was seen holding an ashtray for the Supreme Leader while on their way to the nuclear summit in Vietnam with then-US President Donald Trump.
3. Kim Yo-jong has become an important person in the North Korean leadership ever since and is even credited with managing Kim’s public image at home and abroad. She is also part of the Workers’ party in North Korea that rules the country. This is quite significant in a political atmosphere where Kim Jong-un ordered the execution of his own uncle and half-brother.
4. She was also in charge of handling Pyongyang’s affairs with Washington and Seoul.
5. It was reported that Yo-jong was given further military authority in 2021 when she was given permission to conduct unannounced inspections of some of the military logistics of the country.
6. If you remember the 2020 North and South Korea liaison office on the border being blown up, then you should know that it was on the orders of Yo-jong, in retaliation against pamphlets being sent towards the North.
7. All in all, Kim Yo-jong has the confidence of her brother and the North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un and has direct access to him.
8. It wouldn’t be the first time either that the sister has threatened the South. In 2021, responding to then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s comments on one of North Korea’s missile tests, Kim had said that the comments served as destruction of bilateral ties between the two.
9. Kim Yo-Jong was reportedly born on September 26, 1987, though official records either don’t exist or cannot be confirmed. She studied in Switzerland along with her brother Kim Jong-un and lived a sheltered life, tucked away in their private home with bodyguards monitoring their every move.
10. Experts say that Kim Yo-jong’s comments may be foreshadowing more missile tests by North Korea. Experts also say that it is the same narrative – claiming to not attack first or manufacturing a threat from the rival country – adopted by Russia and China, that is being parroted by Kim Yo-jong.