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| Observers say that regardless of Kim Yo-jong’s position in the ruling party, her political role is likely to remain unchanged as she appears to have undertaken a prominent role in state affairs, including inter-Korean affairs, and his family of the North Korean leader(Jorge Silva/Pool Photo Via AP, File Photo) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] The demotion of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's powerful sister at an ongoing party congress is raising questions over whether it signals any change in her status in the top echelons of power.
During the sixth-day session of the party's eighth congress in Pyongyang on Sunday, Kim Yo-jong, the leader's younger sister, wasn’t listed as a member nor as an alternate member of the party's politburo, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Her absence on the politburo list drew a sharp contrast with South Korean intelligence authorities' assessment that the younger Kim is "the de facto No. 2 leader" steering overall state affairs.
The NIS made the assessment during a closed-door parliamentary briefing in August, with a prediction that she would be elevated to a higher party post in the rare congress, according to lawmakers. Observers said that it is premature to determine where Kim Yo-jong stands in the top party echelons based on the recent reshuffle, given her pedigree and the great trust the leader places in her. Kim has handled inter-Korean affairs as the first vice director of the Workers' Party Central Committee since late 2019. In April 2020, she was reappointed as an alternate member of the politburo.
