- Kim Jong Un's younger sister and right-hand woman, Kim Yo Jong, is a mysterious figure whose life has piqued international curiosity.
- The 30-something woman was seen in her brother's bizarre photoshoot riding a white horse on a historically meaningful mountain.
- She has rapidly become North Korea's most powerful woman, frequently seen side by side with her brother, and plays a key role in his administration.
- Some had speculated in April that she fell out of her brother's favor, but her appearance in the strange photoshoot suggests she may be back in his good graces.
- Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.
As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sought to raise his international standing, a figure seen by his side almost constantly during his meetings with world leaders is none other than his younger sister Kim Yo Jong.
During the two summits between the US and North Korea, Kim Yo Jong was front and center during the historic show of diplomacy between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump.
She also traveled to South Korea during the 2018 Winter Olympics, becoming the first member of North Korea's ruling family to visit the south since the Korean War in the 1950s.
Most recently, she was seen in a bizarre photoshoot her brother staged on a North Korean mountainside, riding a white horse through the snow.
Some had speculated that Kim Yo Jong was kicked out of North Korea's high-profile ruling politburo, NK News reported in April, suggesting a fall from favor. But her participation in the strange photoshoot suggests she may be back in the leader's good graces.
Like her brother, and much of the rest of their family, few details are known about Kim Yo Jong and the life she lived before reaching a prime leadership role in the North Korean government.
Here's what we know about her so far.
DON'T MISS: Mystery children and sibling rivalries — this is Kim Jong Un's family tree
Like many of Kim's family members, Kim Yo Jong's exact age is difficult to pin down. But she's believed to be between 29 and 31.
She's the youngest child of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his consort, Ko Yong Hui, a former dancer.
Source: Business Insider
She was partly educated in Switzerland at the same school Kim Jong Un attended. But she returned to North Korea in 2000 after completing the US equivalent of the sixth grade.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/961416981013344256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Kim Yo Jong as a girl: this is the earliest photo we have of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister, taken while she was at school in Switzerland. pic.twitter.com/LrDFgGBzdt
Source: North Korea Leadership Watch
Kim Yo Jong appeared destined for a powerful career from a young age. Kim Jong Il once bragged to foreign interlocutors in 2002 that his youngest daughter was interested in politics and eager to work in North Korea's government.
Source: North Korea Leadership Watch
It's completely unclear where she was or what she was up to between 2000 and 2007.
Source: North Korea Leadership Watch
In the following years, she conducted a lot of behind-the-scenes work for her father, Kim Jong Il, and brother Kim Jong Un. She played a particularly significant role in helping Kim Jong Un take over instead of his older brothers.
Source: North Korea Leadership Watch
Her first public appearance was in 2011 at Kim Jong Il's funeral.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/961423095884955648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Kim Yo Jong's first recorded public appearance: The North Korean princess appeared among the mourners at her father's funeral at the end of 2011. pic.twitter.com/GWPw4dgbZU
Source: The Washington Post
Kim Yo Jong made headlines in 2017 after she was promoted to a top position in her brother's government: the head of the propaganda department of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Source: The New York Times
That's not just a fancy title — Kim Yo Jong plays a crucial role in controlling her brother's public image.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/961430857977229312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Kim Yo Jong's role in the North Korean regime is not just ceremonial. She's actually working, protecting the image of her brother Kim Jong Un and making sure that everything runs smoothly. pic.twitter.com/hWsQnPIZzr
Source: The Washington Post
In public, Kim Yo Jong appears to have greater freedom than other top government officials in North Korea, occasionally appearing in photographs unaccompanied, rather than constantly being in the presence of Kim Jong Un.
Source: The New York Times
Some have speculated that she was promoted partly in an effort to continue Kim Jong Un's dynasty. While she's out of the line of succession, some believe she could take over the country's leadership if something happens to Kim Jong Un before his kids are old enough to rule.
Sources: The New York Times, The Washington Post
It wouldn't be an unprecedented role for her, either. Kim Yo Jong once briefly took control of the country's affairs while her brother was ill in 2014, according to a South Korean think tank run by North Korean defectors.
Source: CNN
She stepped onto the world stage in February 2018. In a rare show of diplomacy between the two Koreas, Kim Yo Jong traveled to South Korea for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Everyone's eyes were on Kim Yo Jong at the start of the games. She shared a historic handshake with South Korean President Moon Jae In, and both broke out in smiles.
Source: Business Insider
During the opening ceremony, she sat right behind US Vice President Mike Pence, second lady Karen Pence, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Kim Yo Jong and Pence did not speak with each other.
Source: Business Insider
Her interaction with South Korean leaders was a rare show of diplomacy and warmth. Given her experience in propaganda, she likely knew exactly what she was doing to try and curry favorable attention.
Source: Business Insider
In April 2018, she played a crucial role in the peace talks between the two Koreas. Leaders from the two nations met at the Demilitarized Zone, and Kim Yo Jong was notably the only woman at the table.
Though she stayed well away from the spotlight, leaving that to her brother, it was clear Kim Yo Jong played a significant role in orchestrating the talks and ensuring the day ran smoothly.
She was her brother's right-hand woman when he and Trump signed the agreement acknowledging North Korea's intentions to denuclearize.
Source: Business Insider, The Washington Post, White House
Kim Yo Jong sparked curiosity at one point, when she switched out the pen that was provided for the summit with her own ballpoint pen. It's unclear why she swapped the pens, but some have speculated that it was for security reasons.
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1006416762936569856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Anyone else spot this? There were two "Donald Trump" signing pens, NK official came in and shined up the one for Kim, then at the last minute Kim Yo Jong pulled out her own per to use instead of the one provided. Kim used that and back it went in her blazer. (Pool video) pic.twitter.com/dZWEK22IdF
Sources: Twitter/@martyn_williams, BBC
She made headlines in February when she was seen holding her brother's ashtray while he smoked during their train journey to Hanoi, Vietnam.
//www.youtube.com/embed/tTuBxBB4zp8
Width: 780px
Height: 442px
Kim Yo Jong was featured prominently in the preparations for her brother's talks with Trump, often rushing ahead to make sure everything was ready.
She even went viral at one point when she seemed to be hiding in the plants as Kim Jong Un met with the US president at the Metropole Hotel.
Source: Twitter
It has become increasingly clear over the past year that Kim Yo Jong was one of her brother's most trusted officials, and her power in the regime was only growing.
But in the hermit kingdom, no one's position is ever truly secure under the mercurial leadership of Kim Jong Un. He's known for turning on family members quickly when they fall out of favor — and it remains to be seen whether Kim Yo Jong is an exception.
Kim Yo Jong was not listed as an alternate member of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea politburo — the party's top decision-making body — and did not appear at any high-profile events during an important party gathering in April.
Sources: Business Insider, NK News
She also missed a meeting between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin later that month, fueling speculation that she had been demoted.
Source: Business Insider
One theory is that Kim Jong Un ordered her to lie low after his failed summit with Trump in February.
Sources: Business Insider, The Guardian
But in early June, Kim Yo Jong was spotted for the first time in 52 days, suggesting she was back in her brother's good graces.
Source: Business Insider
This week, North Korean media released strange photos of Kim Jong Un riding a white horse atop a mountain with historic and symbolic significance. Experts told Business Insider's Ellen Ioanes that the photos are packed with political meaning — and could foreshadow a frightening military advancement.
Source: Business Insider
The photos are highly meaningful — for one, they take place on Paektu Mountain, the supposed "location of Kim Il Sung's mythical guerrilla base," according to experts. Kim Jong Un has previously visited the mountainside before major policy or military announcements.
Source: Reuters
North Korea may soon take action like launching a rocket or announcing that they have the ability to perform subcritical nuclear tests, according to Michael Madden, a North Korea researcher for the Stimson Center.
Source: Business Insider
Either way, the fact that Kim Yo Jong is involved in such a meaningful display speaks volumes about her status in the hermit kingdom.
