North Korea's de facto second-in-command Kim Yo-jong disappears off public radar
Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo Jong
Kim Yo Jong, younger sister of North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un, has appeared to have vanished from public view after last being pictured on July 27.
Also read | North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister is 'de facto second-in-command', says lawmaker
This is despite rumours she was on the brink of taking over from her brother after being given more power while he battled his health.
Her absence from the public eye is a sharp contrast to the activities of other North Korean officials. This is raising questions about her whereabouts given that she has been delegated part of her brother's authority.
While Kim Yo-jong has been absent from public duties, her older brother, who also disappeared from public eye for nearly three weeks earlier this year, has recently been appearing in public frequently.
Kim is currently the deputy director of WPK Propaganda and Agitation Department and media reports suggest that she has been groomed by Kim Jong Un to replace their aunt Kim Kyong-hui -- with whom Kim Jong is said to have a good relation -- to be his support system.
Experts fear her increasing power may play a factor in her apparent disappearance.
North Korea has never publicized who would follow leader Kim Jong Un in the event he is incapacitated, and with no details known about his young children, analysts say his sister and loyalists could form a regency until a successor is old enough to take over.
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The younger sister of Dictator Kim Jong-un, who has steadily risen through the regime's ranks to become the leader's alter-ego.
Today, Yo-jong is the number two in North Korea. She is the leader's trusted ally and is equally unpredictable.
Yo-jong was rarely seen in public until 2010. But her journey to the country's top seat began in the 1990s. She attended primary school in Switzerland and lived in a private home in Berne along with Kim.
Yo-jong went on to attend the Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang, where she graduated in computer science.
She was given her first public role in 2017. Yo-jong's father and former North Korean leader--- Kim Jong II appointed her as a junior cadre in the ruling Korean worker's party.
It is said, she played a key role in arranging Kim's succession as the supreme ruler.
In 2014, Yo-jong accompanied her brother during the elections for the country's supreme assembly.
She is believed to be the brain behind Kim's cautiously-crafted public image and also his nuclear diplomacy.
(With inputs from agencies)