Kim Yo Jong: The Cersei Lannister of North Korea
Image Source: Reuters
Kim Jong-Un has died… or has he? There are mixed reports regarding the wellbeing of the Supreme Leader of North Korea. The speculation around the possible demise of Kim Jong-Un has pushed a new leader into the spotlight: his little sister Kim Yo-Jong.
Yo-Jong is the youngest daughter of former supreme leader Kim Jong-Il and is considered the natural successor to Kim Jong-Un. The 32-year-old was shrouded in mystery until her first public appearance among the mourners at her father's funeral in 2011. The Princess of North Korea has a history that is hard to track. From what little information that has been gathered from the clutches of her family's regime, it is believed she was first educated in Switzerland, then trained at the Kim Il-sung Military University, and finally studied computer science at Kim Il-sung University.
Image Source: Reuters
Following her 2011 appearance, she allegedly became a tour manager for her brother under the National Defence Commission at the beginning of 2012. In 2014, she was listed as a senior official for the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. Yo-Jong is credited for controlling the cult personality around her brother’s leadership. This would make her the force behind the psychological indoctrination that permeates through North Korea and creates a worship of leadership through propaganda, patriotism, and demonstrations.
Yo-Jong gained international attention at the 2018 Olympics when she appeared as the face of North Korea in Pyeongchang. Yo-Jong was the first member of the North's ruling dynasty to visit the South since the Korean War ended in 1953. She made headlines internationally by inviting South Korean President Moon Jae-in to visit North Korea.
In April 2020, rumors began floating around regarding the wellbeing of Kim Jong-Un. The Supreme Leader had allegedly suffered a botched heart surgery that left him incapacitated. While dozens of sources reported this as fact, there have been no confirmations of the status of Jong-Un.
Source: @ardenlolo via Twitter
Not surprisingly, Gen Z ran with the news that Kim Jong-Un may have passed, and the memes began to spread across social media with a new focus. Yo-Jong, became the “meme queen” with fan cams, tweets, and Tik-Toks of the possible successor becoming instantly viral. While there is no harm in a good joke, Yo-Jong is not the “uwu legend” that these memes paint her to be.
In January 2017, she was placed on the US Treasury's Specially Designated Nationals List to be held accountable for “Serious Human Rights Abuses or Censorship in North Korea.”
Supreme Leaders of North Korea have historically had to prove themselves in the eyes of the North Korean regime. Each of her predecessors have done this in horrific acts of violence and oppression. Her brother introduced stadium public executions which created a new level of psychological terror. As well as her father who is known to have killed over 1 million North Koreans in the 1990s with his inhumane policy of “knowingly causing prolonged starvation.”
Image Source: Getty Images
Yo-Jong will have to outdo her predecessors with a bang in order to prove to the world that her gender does not weaken her claim to Supreme Leadership. Everything is on the table—from genocide to escalating nuclear tensions with the United States. The infamous cruelty done to North Koreans by their rulers is unparalleled in modern times, and any escalation that could be caused by Yo-Jong’s reign would have heinous repercussions for the people of North Korea.
The 5’7 figure who externally looks pristine and regal, reeks of iniquity and malice. This is not a time to celebrate some notion of a feminist overthrow of the patriarchy, but instead a time to educate yourself on international relations and elect leaders who are well-equipped to negotiate foreign policy for the good of the world’s population.
Kim Yo-Jung may or may not gain power this year, and Kim Jong-Un may or may not be dead. However, there are lessons to be learned in the shifting of power. If we are not careful, willful ignorance can place us all in the Sept of Baelor, and Cercei is just waiting to light her match.