Kim Yo-jong
In April 2020, a three-week absence from public view led to speculation that Kim was seriously ill or even dead, but no clear evidence of any health problem came to light. He continued to appear in public rarely over the following months, possibly because of health problems, possibly because of the risk of COVID-19, or possibly for some other reason. In August, it was reported that Kim had ceded a degree of authority to his sister, Kim Yo-jong, giving her responsibility for relations with South Korea and the United States and making her his de facto second-in-command.