The Japan Times - Unverified Kim Jong Un Rumours Put Kim Yo Jong Back in Focus

Unverified social-media claims about Kim Jong Un’s health and leadership have renewed attention on his sister Kim Yo Jong, a senior North Korean official.

Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, is trending after unverified social media posts claimed she has taken power in place of her brother. The posts stated Kim Jong Un died of a brain haemorrhage and that his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, did not take over. There is no official confirmation of any of it. On Tuesday, North Korean state media released photos that show Kim Jong Un alive and at a public event.North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Death RumoursThe claims came from Wanjun Xie, chairman of the China Democracy Party, in a social media post. ET Online reported that he stated Kim Jong Un fell into a coma and was flown to Beijing. He stated doctors from Peking Union Medical College Hospital treated him and that he died despite emergency surgery. Xie stated the death was being kept secret.135055388Xie also stated Kim Yo Jong now controls the regime. He pointed to her tough stand on South Korea as proof that she is tightening her hold on the military. He further claimed that 9,000 Chinese troops were sent to Pyongyang to support Kim Ju Ae steady her position.He stated China’s Northern Theater Command was put on Level III alert, with soldiers’ leave cancelled. He also claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping suffered a stroke in September at the BRICS summit in India. ET Online stated none of this is backed by verified evidence.Kim Jong Un’s Sister Kim Yo Jong on the BorderOn Monday, she issued a statement on KCNA. as reported by Reuters, she stated North Korea is considering more tactical weapons along the southern border and may restart loudspeaker broadcasts toward Seoul. Reuters quoted her saying, “Now the situation of the southern border is very unstable.”She stated South Korea fired 201 warning shots and ran 2,870 rounds of loudspeaker warnings between August 1 and October 17. Seoul has not shared its own figures, Reuters reported. Its defence ministry did not comment right away.Tension has grown since North Korea began fortifying the border in April 2024. South Korea’s military stated on October 5 that the North sent up to 7,000 workers this year to lay mines and put up fences.Who is Kim Yo Jong?CNN’s profile on Kim Yo Jong describes her as a senior member of the government under her brother. She was born in 1987 and is believed to be the youngest of Kim Jong Il’s seven children. She shares a mother with Kim Jong Un. Like him, she studied in Switzerland and is believed to have attended Kim Il Sung University.CNN reported that she was always close to her father. After she came back from Switzerland, she was given posts of responsibility in the government, as reported by Michael Madden, who runs the blog North Korea Leadership Watch.How did Kim Yo Jong rise to power?She started out as an advance-team leader. She inspected sites before official visits and handled administrative tasks. Her profile rose in 2014, when she became deputy director of the Workers’ Party Propaganda and Agitation Department.CNN reported that a Seoul-based think tank run by North Korean defectors stated she briefly took charge of the country in late 2014, when her brother was reportedly ill. She became an alternate member of the Politburo in 2017.In 2018, she led North Korea’s delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea. She was the first member of the ruling family to visit the South since the Korean War. She also handed South Korean President Moon Jae-in a letter from her brother.Later that year, she was the only woman among six delegates at the inter-Korean summit at the border. CNN observed that she took notes while her brother spoke and stayed out of the spotlight. Many saw her as key to making the summit happen.What is Kim Yo Jong’s role in the North Korean government today?Madden told CNN she works “almost like a White House chief of staff would.” He stated she deals with policy and gets intelligence briefings. CNN reported that she manages Kim’s public events, travel and logistics.She is among her brother’s top 20 officials. Analysts see her as a gatekeeper to the leader. Balbina Hwang of Georgetown University told CNN that Kim trusts very few people. That, she stated, is why his sister may be among his most influential aides.Kim Jong Un’s Latest Public AppearanceKCNA, North Korea’s state media, released new photos on Tuesday. They show Kim at the 2026 National Garment and Footwear Exhibition, which he visited on Monday. His daughter Kim Ju Ae and wife Ri Sol Ju were with him.135061360KCNA stated the show had over 70,700 clothing items and over 170,000 pairs of shoes. It stated factories across the country made them under Kim’s regional development policy. The photos come from state media, so they cannot be checked independently.Rumours about Kim’s health have come up before. North Korea is a closed country, and even a short gap in public view can start talk about who would lead next.

H.Takahashi--JT