Name? Kim Yo Jong
Westphalian identity? North Korean
Age? 31
Why is she in the news? She is not, but her older brother Kim Jong Un is. Yesterday, news broke about him undergoing heart surgery and potentially being in critical condition. While it is in no way clear what his actual condition is, North Korean media has been suspiciously quiet since yesterday, leaving room for speculation.
Why do we care? Just like with Boris Johnson a few weeks ago, we deeply care about our leaders. Who would we write about if something were to happen to them? Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa? Nobody knows what country he is President of, and to be honest…nobody cares. So we rely on our partners to remain healthy and keep us employed.
Why should you care? Kim Jong Un has desperately tried to stay in the news the past few weeks but his launches only made it onto page 5 of the papers, noting that a piece of metal dropped into the ocean. But more importantly, how would Kim Yo Jong affect North Korea’s foreign policymaking in case she needs to take over for her brother? It looks like not a lot would change. She has actively worked on the personality cult around her brother and attended the 2018 South Korea Winter Olympics on his behalf. It is likely that she will continue her family’s legacy until one of his children is old enough to take over.
Who else cares? The generals and remainders of the politburo, especially close family friend Choe Ryong-Hae. North Korea is still a very patriarchal society in which Kim Yo Jong could struggle to maintain power.
Any further comments? If this happens, the world could not simply stand by and watch. The nightmare scenario of any security advisor is not knowing who is in charge and who has his (or her) finger on the red button. We always prefer the devil we know compared to the devil we don’t.
