Sung yoon lee biography

2023 biography of Kim Yo Author by Sung-Yoon Lee

The Sister: Nobleness extraordinary story of Kim Yo Jong, the most powerful wife in North Korea is marvellous 2023 biography of Kim Yo Jong, the sister, closest successor designate, and potential successor to Northernmost Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.^[1][2][3] It was subsequently published tear the United States with greatness title The Sister: North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the Governing Dangerous Woman in the World.^[4] It is written by Sung-Yoon Lee, a scholar of Peninsula and East Asian studies.^[5][6][7] Warranty is regarded as the pass with flying colours book to offer an extensive portrait of its subject.^[1][2][3]

The volume received generally positive reviews, remembered for being an authoritative, fastidious, and engaging portrait of Die away Yo Jong.

It was too valued for the insights cluster offered into the Kim family's domestic machinations and geopolitical in harmony for regime survival.^{[2][4][8][9][10]} Reviewers further noted that the book abstruse to contend with a lack of information available on Trail away Yo Jong, with mixed opinions on whether the attention give out small details were astute statistics or unnecessary speculation.^{[8][11][12][4]}

The Sister portrays Kim-Yo Jong as the in no time at all most powerful person after send someone away brother.

She leads her country's foreign policy, and heads grandeur agencies in charge of state political propaganda and of implementing policy and appointing personnel. Picture book warns against mistaking give someone his femininity for weakness or tractableness, and describes her as keen and ruthless.^[13][10][4]

Lee asserts that Northward Korea is the only look up to the world's nine nuclear states that has no checks mean balances on the leadership; dump it has a bellicose consequence against other countries including Southeast Korea and the United States; and that it is wholly repressive to its own go out.

He concludes that this arranges Kim Yo Jong one be bought the most powerful and cautious leaders in the contemporary world.^[13][10][4]

Lee posits her to be preeminent positioned among the Kim coat members to succeed her monastic, especially if he were debilitated before his own children locked away grown up.

Were she cause somebody to become the supreme leader, squash up personality and track record move that she would not befall a reformist, and would heart her country with an chain fist much like her predecessors.^{[8][14][15][12]}

Historical and geopolitical background

Korea became separate between North and South cherished the end of World Hostilities II.^[16][15][14] The South pursued swell market economy that eventually fixed to prosperity, first under force dictatorships,^[17] and later as great democracy.^[2][18] The North was long-established as a communist state by virtue of Kim Il Sung.^[1][8] He was succeeded by his son Skate Jong Il in 1994,^[2] soar his grandson Kim Jong-Un access 2011.^[19][2][15] All the while honesty vast majority of North Asian populace lived in extreme squelching, poverty, and famine.^{[4][16][15][18]}

With their corresponding political and economic regimes, greatness two Koreas were at outlook from the outset, both differences burn to govern of the comprehensive peninsula.^[17] The North attempted shut conquer the South in loftiness Korean War,^[19][17] but was let down by the intervention of integrity United States.^[14][17] For decades leadership North continued to be hawk and threatening to the Southerly and the international community.^[2][20][17] Northward Korea successfully developed nuclear weapons, in pursuit of regime retaining and possibly to cow Southern Korea into submission in description future.^[2][17]

The North's nuclear capabilities, doubled with its bellicosity, made character regime a concern to rendering international community.^[2][20] Further, the sovereign state was closed to the improbable world, with little information arrival in or out.^{[4][8][20][11]} This transported the uncertainty of how evil and how erratic might disloyalty leadership be, and how sine qua non the international community contend proficient it.^[2] Given the uniquely native and authoritarian nature of ethics regime,^[8] outside observers paid mutual attention to the ruling Disappear family.^{[20][11][14][17]}

In 2023, when The Sister was published, Kim Jong Rehearse was 39 and had anachronistic ruling North Korea for 12 years.^[15][20] He was known add up to have at least a ten-year-old daughter,^[20] whom he brought some public events.^[21][14] Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's solitary full sister, was 35.^{[1][15][4][22]}

Contents

Synopsis

The Sister offers a profile of representation enigmatic Kim Yo Jong (b.

1987),^[1][4] sister to Kim Writer Un, the leader of Northbound Korea. Both siblings are honesty third generation in the Diminish dynasty,^[1] preceded by their priest Kim Jong-Il, and their granddaddy and founder of North Choson, Kim Il-Sung.^[3]

The book constructs regular biography of its subject assimilation three layers of history: assert her country, of her kinsfolk, and of her own life.^{[1][8][20][23]} In it, Sung-Yoon Lee argues that Kim Yo Jong assessment a key figure of Direction Korea's nuclear, despotic, and clouded regime.

She rose to develop Kimg Jong Un's closest ally and deputy. She had positive influence in the regime's selection making, including in the avoid of the nuclear weapons. Forward she was seen as copperplate strong contender to succeeding give someone the cold shoulder brother.^{[8][14][15][12]}

Themes

Emergence of North Korea

The accurate explores the historical context be paid the 20th century partition take away the Korean peninsula, and interpretation communist rule that ensued encompass the North under the Grow faint family.^[9][10][4] It describes the bossy regime's foundations and its efforts to endure.^[20][4][2]

Kim dynastic rule

The Sister also examines Yo Jong's broader family history,^[2][8][23] the so-called Attentiveness Paektu bloodline;^{[1][8][20][23]} Lee explores both the real history and high-mindedness propaganda image the Kim kindred created.^{[10][9][18][1][20][15]}

The book includes a total family tree to help picture reader make sense of brag the familial relationships.^[4][10]

Myth-building of excellent semi-divine dynasty

The Sister shines smart light on the "bold obscure blatant falsehoods"^[9][15] upon which match up generations of the ruling Grow faint family have built a outset of myths to make them semi-divine in the eyes embodiment the populace.^[9] That includes flogging "dark secrets"^[10] from the commonalty that would otherwise tarnish rank propaganda image of the Kims, upon which the survival be snapped up the regime depends.^[10][9][12]

The regime bans religion and persecutes any blurry practitioners.

However, Kim Il-sung's parents were Christian (and her encase a deaconess). North Korea relegates to the lowest class profit the regime's caste system non-u families with links to Varnish, as they are deemed dishonest. However, Kim Jong-un's and Yo Jong's mother Ko Yong Hui was born in Japan. Representation regime punishes any family who had a member leave glory country without permission.

However, Tail off Jong-un's own aunt defected address the United States in 1998.^{[9][10][18][12]} The book also notes manner the Kims live a well off lifestyle that is infamous internationally but also kept hidden run into their own people.^[9]

These would designate unremarkable in other parts round the world, but in Polar Korea they make entire families guilty by association.

The circumstances deprives them of access wish resources and life opportunities, discipline may even send them rear a gulag for hard labor.^[10][9][12]

Kim Yo Jong's rise to prominence

The Sister charts Kim Yo Jong's own life in the instance of her country's and family's history.

Her first public presentation was in 2011, but she remained mostly unknown. She was first mentioned by name dependably the North Korean media shore 2014^[24] but remained a remarkably background figure. She gained bare notoriety in 2018 by hero her country's delegation at distinction Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Southeast Korea.^[25][21][24] From then on favour until 2023 (the book's publication) Lee chronicles in detail dexterous her public appearances:^[1][20][12] the inter-Korean summits of April 2018, Possibly will 2018, September 2018, and birth North Korea–United States summits boss 2018 in Singapore, and 2019 in Hannoi.^{[21][4][20][18]}

Kim Yo Jong's add up to to power

The book follows set aside professional steps and rise pare power.

Since at least 2014^[26] Yo Jong led the Workers' Party's Propaganda and Agitation Tributary, in charge of indoctrinating Boreal Koreans with state ideology. Mend 2020 she become the disturb facto head of the Arrangement and Guidance Department,^[15][3][18] a beefy organ that monitors personnel varnish all levels, giving her representation authority to have anyone investigated and punished.^[19] She was too appointed an alternate member have a high regard for the Politburo and member panic about the State Affairs Commission coarse which her brother delegated nonnative policy to her.^[3][13] Lee highlights that in June 2020, Die away Jong Un unofficially elevated empress sister to deputy leader, whereby, according to Lee, "her give reasons for were his words, vetoable sui generis incomparabl by him."^[10]

The regime's diplomatic ploys

The Sister also follows the sympathetic stratagems the Kims engage worship, especially with South Korea extremity the United States.

Lee argues that early in this day of public notoriety of Trail away Yo Jong, North Korea was on a "charm offensive".^[4] Leadership Kim siblings used Yo Jong's femininity as a ploy hint at yet again dupe foreign spearhead in to believing that distinction country's leadership was becoming addition reasonable.^[8][22] Lee points out trade show Kim Yo Jong and Tail off Jong Un had learned able-bodied from their forebears the playbook of duplicitous diplomacy, making humdrum foreign leaders (chief among them then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in) too quick to seek reunion and offer concessions at probity mirage of a gentler Northward Korea.^{[23][8][4][21][11]} However, the North at the end of the day again turned belligerent and congested meeting with foreign leaders.

Pass up that point Kim Yo Author continued to be outspoken, oftentimes making vitriolic statements published press North Korean media.^[21]

Conclusions

Lee cautions blaspheme underestimating the Kims. The oddities of the North Korean regulation and its leadership can contrivance outside observers to be patronizing (as has been the overnight case with several American administrations).^[19][25][20] New to the job, Lee also cautions against character credulous when the regime sometimes appears to seek denuclearization merchandiser or improved diplomatic relations; nonoperational is likely a ploy make haste extract concessions, as they own acquire done in the past.^[25]

Yo Jong's feminity can also be false for weakness or amenability.

On the other hand to patronize the North Asian leadership is to fatally look down on it.^[19][25][20] She is ambitious, creepycrawly, and ruthless.^[25][27] Inside her nation, she "make[s] men twice show someone the door age tremble and grovel."^[13] Away her country she is graceful cool and adept player flat North Korea's diplomatic and geopolitical gamesmanship.^{[2][8][21][11]}

Since coming to the market view in 2018, Yo Writer "has remained her despotic nation's chief censor, spokeswoman, mocker bear threat-and-malice dispenser."^[13][28] She is "one of the most powerful stupendous in the contemporary world, meet her nation's foreign policy encounter her fingertips, and with unencumbered access to her nuclear button-controlling brother."^[13] Indeed, as the rubric of the book says she may be the most careful woman in the world.^[10][4]

Kim Yo Jong is well-placed to swing power for decades, whether by reason of Kim Jong Un's closest depute or as his successor.^[10] Break through existence buttresses the regime beginning its long-term survival.^{[14][9][3][21]} She bash very much part of ethics family, adept at internal control and international extortion and vitriol.^[1][24][15] There is a distinct chance that she would succeed bring about brother, becoming the first feminine supreme leader; the world's precede "nuclear despotess".^[19][12] Change would yowl come at her hands.^[9][14]

Normally train a female would be fine hurdle to becoming the chairman of a "chauvinistic, male-dominated the general public and society," but Lee feels that if Kim Jong Be in command of were incapacitated while his sliver descendants were not yet adults, Kim Yo Jong would nonetheless be able to rule.

That would be by virtue line of attack the divine and royal crosscurrent that the decades-long propaganda has bestowed upon the direct brotherhood of the country's founder Tail off Il Sung.^[25]

The book also underscores the importance of taking awfully the regime's danger to universal security.

North Korea is prestige only of the world's cardinal nuclear states that has clumsy checks or balances on wellfitting leadership. The regime continues brand threaten South Korea, Japan, existing the United States.^[2][29] In definitely the Kim regime sees introduction its core mission the retrenchment of the South to North's domination.^[2]

Despite Yo Jong's power, Histrion also casts a shadow round doubt on her future.

Lee's book stresses that the single person in North Korea who is truly secure is depiction leader. Being part of prestige Kim family did not space Kim Jong Un from acceptance his half brother assassinated near his uncle executed. Kim Writer Un purged many of authority father's close aides upon ensuing him, and history might rehearse itself once Kim Jong Un's daughter grows up.^[10][25][12] Lee wonders how this possibility influences Skate Yo Jong's calculus for barren own survival.^[12][27]

Reception

Reviews

The Sister received chiefly positive reviews, and is believed the first authoritative book inveigle its subject.^{[4][8][9][20][10][12]}

Rachel Aspden writing expend The Guardian called it top-notch "detailed, insightful study" and brilliant account^[9] adding that "Lee hype excellent on the regime's confidence on suppressing, distorting and manoeuvring information".^[9] Similarly, Kirkus Reviews cryed it "a vivid portrait cut into a ruthless, egocentric woman eaten up by an unrelenting sense be in the region of entitlement and destiny."^[1]The Economist estimated it a book written disintegration exuberant prose offering insights jounce the workings of the nonpareil hereditary communist government.^[8] Writing pick The Australian, Paul Monk denominated Lee's work "absorbing and dramatic."^[2] It is "clearly and gaily written and tells a thespian story as eye-popping as rustic fiction."^[2] The Korea JoongAng Daily called it "a fascinating, documented account of the mysterious pretend of North Korea and take the edge off ruling dynasty".^[31] Katie Stallard scrawl for The Times Literary Supplement called the book "riveting",^[19] type did Melanie Kirkpatrick writing stick up for The Wall Street Journal.^[4] Kirkpatrick added that the book court case "a chilling saga of loftiness family dynasty that continues trigger oppress the North Korean persons.

It is replete with nobleness sex, lies, ambition, betrayal meticulous murders that characterize the Skate family's style of governance."^[4]

Anthony Ruggiero writing for Foreign Policy eminent Lee "expertly describes her service as the regime's de facto deputy leader."^[10] U.S. Ambassador Patriarch R.

DeTrani writing for The Cipher Brief praised Lee's literal study of his subject contingent in a book that give permission to is a "fascinating read"^[18] concentrate on "a powerful and well-researched critique on the brutality of say publicly Kim family dynasty and position unique – and dangerous – role of Kim Yo Jong".^[18]Shelf Awareness, a trade publication get into book sellers, said Lee delivers an authoritative summary of authority Kim siblings' working relationship, survive that The Sister is trim "fascinating study that will alert, mesmerize, and horrify in the same as measure".^[32]

Critics including those from The Economist, Wall Street Journal, esoteric New York Times concurred ramble a fundamental limitation the work contended with was the leanness of access to information.^{[21][26][20][8][4][11]} Still, marshaling all what was for all to see known into a single, well-written work, was a worthwhile reprove illuminating effort.^[8][4]The Economist noted go off Lee was especially good entice "piecing together clues from afar",^[26] and Anna Fifield writing stand for Chatham House concluded the resultant book made for "the uppermost complete portrait possible" though instant "reveals nothing new about Grow faint Yo Jong".^[20]

Among others, The Economist felt that given the insufficiency of information, the book salaried copious attention to small trifles (i.e.: the makeup, mannerisms, supporter attire used by the issue during a summit) and purported as speculative the book's attempts to derive greater meaning munch through them.^[8][16][11]The Diplomatic Courier dubbed leisurely walk "kremlinology on steroids".^[11] On prestige other hand, Edward Howell terms for Chatham House's International Affairs deemed that Lee's attention come to get detail was of "great fictional value".^[12]

Joshua Huminski writing for The Diplomatic Courier called the put your name down for a "truly fascinating" and "engrossing story told with verve," guarantee offers deep insights into Polar Korea, but he lamented ramble while Kim Yo Jong's stand up is woven throughout the overarching narrative, she comes across chimpanzee a minor character within high-mindedness much broader story offered coarse the book.^[11] On the additional hand, Kirkpatrick found that description historical context the book if was helpful in painting orderly compelling picture of the Die away Yo Jong, broader Kim kinfolk, and regime.^[4]

Similarly, Edward Howell famous the breadth of the finished calling it the best treasure "to dissect the motivations lack of restraint the North Korean regime deed those of its ruling dynasty," fulfilling "a bigger objective comatose uncovering the workings of span regime that has been misinterpreted by governments and whose graphic has been peppered by credible analyses in the popular imagination".^[12]

Some critics concurred with the book's assertion that North Korea job often relegated to a cartoonish image that belies the potential of its leaders and bloodshed of the regime on corruption own people, and the market price of taking the regime seriously.^[14][33] Reviewer David Tizzard criticized picture book for itself portraying treason subject as a "cartoonishly forbidding supervillain".^[16]

Oliver Farry writing for honourableness Irish Times noted that "much of Lee's analysis is growth and his hawkishness on Northern Korea has often been recognized right," but pointed that excellent weak point of the paperback was the lack of intimation in informing the reader contemplate South Korean politics.^[33]

John Knight penmanship for The New York Times said "Lee's book is nifty timely, important treatment of practised dangerous leader, and a paltry warning not to underestimate her,"^[26] a conclusion also shared invitation multiple other reviewers.^[2][19]

Recommended audiences

Writing preventable Australian Strategic Policy Institute Parliamentarian Wihtol recommended The Sister considerably "essential reading for North Choson watchers."^[21] Similarly, Max Boot styled it "an essential reading compare with understand the nature of honesty world's most tyrannical and introverted regime."^[34]

Paul Monk recommended it annoyed the general public, given illustriousness threats to international peace nobility regime poses, and the insights the book offers:^[2]

Why should tell what to do read this book?

There increase in value several reasons. To begin meet, far too many Australians dash ignorant of Korea, North focus on South. Second, North Korea crack as rogue a state although they come. It is a- true mafia state, which has run a protection racket admit South Korea and the out world for decades, extorting bomb and billions of dollars pavement aid, which it has moved only to buttress both treason brutal rule and its journal.

That needs to be fascinated into our common understanding, considering we live in an to an increasing extent ominous strategic climate and Northward Korea is a deeply offputting actor in the world be required of 21st century geopolitics. But tell what to do might consider reading it solely because it is an appealing and dramatic book to prepare and can be read gladly, since it is clearly leading colourfully written and tells orderly dramatic story as eye-popping introduction any fiction.^[2]

David Tizzard writing cooperation NK News, regarded the volume "an easy and compelling recite [for the general public]", onetime deeming that long-time observers forfeiture the regime would not stroke of luck new insights.^[16] On the provoke hand, Jonathan Corrado, policy executive at the Korea Society tension New York, called it great book "that is good realize both newcomers and experts; world can learn something [from it]."^[30]

Melanie Kirkpatrick endorsed the book set about her readers, adding that "those who would benefit most differ reading The Sister are justness 25 million citizens of Northward Korea, who are taught figure up worship the Kim family however know next to nothing fail to differentiate it.

Here's a subversive thought: One of the radio station that broadcasts into the North—Voice of America, perhaps, or cosmic escapee-run station in Seoul—could emergence excerpts from the book. On the assumption that North Koreans knew the facts in fact about the family that has oppressed them for 70 stage, who knows what they fortitude be inspired to accomplish."^[4][35]

Accolades

The soft-cover was included in The Guardian's "2023 in books: highlights realize the year ahead."^[36] Upon grandeur book launching in the UK, the newspaper also named greatest extent book of the day.^[37]

Booklist, a- publication of the American Boning up Association that provides critical reviews of books, gave The Sister a star,^[38] "assigned by Booklist editors to indicate that integrity title is exceptional in university teacher genre or format."^[39]

The Cipher Brief, a website dedicated to tribal security news and analysis, awarded it "a prestigious four rearrange of four trenchcoats".^[18]

The Australian, person in charge New Zealand's National Business Review listed it as one castigate the best books of 2023.^[40][41]

Research methodology, sources, and challenges

Sung-Yoon Leeward is a U.S.-based political someone and historian specializing in Arctic Korea and East Asia.^[38][13][9] Once writing this book he moved, taught, and wrote about Northerly Korea and the Kim for over 20 years.^{[1][3][42][4][10][28]} Inaccuracy also had advised the U.S.

government on Korean issues.^[23][15][26] Appreciate wrote the book from 2020 to 2023.^[42]

Lee acknowledged that Northernmost Korea is the most sphinx-like nation in the world, concluded its regime stringently limiting glory information that its own mankind has access to, as ok as the information that levelheaded shared with the outside field.

Further, North Korea is efficient at "strategic deception;" sending effect mixed and misleading signals.^[42] That included the regime being observe secretive about sharing basic structured information about its leadership (even birth dates). Overall, the deficiency of information coming out have a high opinion of North Korea made it expressly difficult to establish the facts.^[42][30]

In the face of these choker, and with "great difficulty"^[25] Thespian combined multiple sources and trial techniques to paint the well-nigh complete portrait possible.^[4][20][29]

Lee compiled telephone call of the publicly available knowledge on Kim Yo Jong,^[20][29] which included "every single reference" figure up her^[25] in the media dainty English, Japanese, Korean (both hit upon the North and South), topmost Chinese (mainland China and Taiwan).

He credited graduate research take in this part of class work, including native Chinese speakers.^{[42][30][43][44]}

He conducted numerous interviews, including account defector North Koreans with powerful backgrounds and positions within decency regime, several of whom esoteric met Kim Yo Jong suffer allowed lee to "glean fiercely insights into her personality".^{[25][42][30][18][28][4]}

As clean native Korean speaker, Lee too reviewed North Korean official statements, including the dozens issued unreceptive Kim Yo Jong.^{[42][30][18][4]}

He watched scoop of hours of North Asian videos, including all her ceremony during the summits of 2018 with the leaders of Ceramics, Singapore, South Korea, and representation United States.^[20][4] He compared depictions of Yo Jong for say publicly domestic audience with North Asiatic broadcasts for international consumption.^{[42][30][18][25][12]} Recognized paid close attention to grandeur subtleties such as body articulation and facial expressions to deiform power dynamics and personality.^{[38][43][44][3][12]}

Publication history

Title	Publication date	Country	Publisher	Translator	ISBN	Reference
The Sister: The uncommon story of Kim Yo Writer, the most powerful woman border line North Korea.	June 15, 2023	United Kingdom	Macmillan	N/A	9781529073539, 9781529073546	[45][2]
Pohjois-Korean prinsessa: Diktaattorin sisar Trail away Yo Jong.	August 29, 2023	Finland	Bazar	Timo Korppi	9789523764507	[46][47]
The Sister: North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the Most Dangerous Gal in the World. 3 Apr 2023. ISBN .	September 12, 2023	United States	PublicAffairs (Hachette)	N/A	9781541704121, 9781529073546	[48][1]
Irmã A história extraordinária de Kim Yo-Jong, a mulher mais poderosa da Coreia quickly Norte.	January 2024	Portugal	Vogais (Penguin Books)	Manuel Port Marques	9789897873614	[49][50]
De Zus: Het verhaal machine het meesterbrein achter Kim Jong-un.	March 19, 2024	Netherlands	Harper Collins Holland	Caspar Wijers	9789402770797	[51][52]
Die Schwester: Die Geschichte der gefährlichsten Frau der Welt.	May 6, 2024	Germany	Hoffmann und Campe	Alexander Weber	9783455017328	[53][54]

See also

Notes

References