Kim Jong-un Dead? North Korea Leader’s Sister Kim Yo-jong in Control of Key Unit of Workers' Party, Says South Korean Defense Minister

Seoul, August 25: South Korean Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo on Tuesday said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, seems to be in control of a key unit of Pyongyang's ruling Workers' Party.

Asked by a lawmaker during a National Assembly session if Kim Yo-jong has a substantial grip on the party's Organization and Guidance Department, the Minister said that he did thought so, reports Yonhap News Agency. Kim Jong Un 'Dead', Says Expert After Reports Claim North Korean Leader Is In Coma; Sister Kim Yo-Jong Likely to Take Over.

But Kim Jong-un is believed to maintain his sole control of the party, the regime and the military, while he has delegated some "roles and responsibilities" to his aides, Jeong said.

On a view that Kim Yo-jong oversees Pyongyang's strategy on Seoul and Washington, the Minister said: "It appears to be true, as she expressed so."

Kim Yo-jong is the younger sister of Kim Jong-un and the only one of his siblings considered a close and powerful ally, the BBC reported. She first gained international attention in 2018, when she was the first member of the Kim dynasty to visit South Korea. North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un to Unveil New Economic Development Plan at Workers' Party Congress on January 2021.

She was part of the delegation to the Winter Olympics, where North and South competed as a joint team. Kim Yo-jong also worked alongside her brother at international summits, including his meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, China's Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 25, 2020 10:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).