Paektu Bloodline
Leadership has always been a family affair in the North and other than her brother, Kim Yo Jong is now the highest-ranked member of the “Paektu bloodline” — a Northern term for the siblings’ grandfather Kim Il Sung and his descendants, who have led the nuclear-armed country since its foundation.
When Kim Jong Un disappeared from public view for several weeks last year it triggered feverish speculation over his health and who might succeed him.
Analysts say Kim Yo Jong’s portrayals in state media could be intended to bolster her credibility with the North Korean military and other hawks.
But when the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper carried portraits of the eight new SAC appointees on Thursday, she stood out among them both as the only woman and for her youth.
Given North Korea’s social and political structures, said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, it would be “very difficult” for Kim to designate his sister as his successor, “even though she is a member of the Paektu bloodline”.
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