Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong could take over if he dies after heart surgery - Metro.co.uk

Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong are said to have a close relationship as a result of their years in isolation together studying in Switzerland (Picture: Getty)

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is said to be in a grave condition in hospital after undergoing heart surgery, raising questions about who will take over if he dies.

South Korea is looking into reports from the U.S. that the leader is in a fragile condition after surgery, but so far have not been able to confirm the reports which first surfaced on CNN, citing an anonymous official.

However, a political upheaval in North Korea would be unlikely even if Kim became sidelined by health problems, according to analyst Cheong Seong-Chang at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea.

Cheong said Kim’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, is already exercising significant influence within the government and that most members of Pyongyang’s leadership share an interest with the Kim family in maintaining the North’s system.

Kim Yo-jong went to military school after returning to North Korea from Switzerland (Picture: Getty)

The siblings are said to have a close relationship as a result of their years studying in isolation together in Switzerland from 1996 to 2000. It is believed she studied at the Kim Il-sung Military University when she returned to North Korea and computer science at the Kim Il-sung university.

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When Kim Jong-un has had medical treatment in the past, it is believed she took over state duties on his behalf, particularly in October 2014.

She was removed from the politburo in April last year, but was reinstated again this month, adding fuel to the speculation that she could be being lined up to take over if her older brother dies.

At his last public appearance, Kim Jong-un presided over a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party on April 11, discussing preventive measures against coronavirus and electing his sister as an alternate member of the bureau.

She was removed from the ruling politburo last April, but was reinstated this month (Picture: Getty)

State media reported Kim sent greetings to Syrian President Bashar Assad last week and gave a ‘birthday spread’ to a North Korean woman who turned 100 on Monday.

The Unification Ministry, which deals with inter-Korean affairs, said it could not confirm another report by Daily NK, which cited anonymous sources to report Mr Kim was recovering from heart surgery in the capital Pyongyang and that his condition was improving.

Speculation about Mr Kim’s health was raised after he missed a celebration honouring his late grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung on April 15.

He had been seen four days before that at a government meeting.

She has been widely cited as most likely to take over from Kim Jong-un if anything happens to him (Picture: Getty)

South Korea’s presidential office said in a statement no suspicious activity had been detected in North Korea that may have given backing to the reports.

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The absence of Mr Kim’s father and predecessor as the country’s leaders, Kim Jong Il, absence from a parade celebrating North Korea’s 60th anniversary in 2008 was followed by rumours that he was in poor health.

It was later revealed he had a stroke, after which his health declined further until his death in 2011.

Credible information about North Korea and especially its leadership is difficult to obtain and even intelligence agencies have been wrong about its inner workings in the past.

She appeared at the Winter Olympics in 2018, the first time since the Korean war that a member of the ruling dynasty visited the South (Picture: Getty)

CNN quoted Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and former CIA deputy division chief for North Korea, as saying rumours had circulated recently about Mr Kim’s health.

‘There have been a number of recent rumours about Kim’s health (smoking, heart, and brain),’ the network quoted Mr Klingner as saying.

‘If Kim is hospitalised, it would explain why he wasn’t present on the important April 15 celebrations.

‘But, over the years, there have been a number of false health rumours about Kim Jong-un, or his father. We’ll have to wait and see.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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2020-04-21 07:02:24Z
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