The Sister: The extraordinary story of Kim Yo Jong, the most powerful woman in North Korea

The Sister: The extraordinary story of Kim Yo Jong, the most powerful woman in North Korea is a 2023 biography of Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un. She is his closest advisor and possible successor. In the United States, it was published as The Sister: North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the Most Dangerous Woman in the World. The author is Sung-Yoon Lee, a scholar of Korean and East Asian politics. The book was seen as the first detailed portrait of Kim Yo Jong.

The book received mostly positive reviews. Critics called it careful, well-written, and full of useful ideas about Kim Yo Jong and the ruling Kim family. Some reviewers argued about whether the book’s focus on small details was smart or too much guessing, since there is not much public information about Kim Yo Jong.

Lee describes Kim Yo Jong as the second most powerful person in North Korea. He writes that she helps lead foreign policy, propaganda, and government appointments. The book warns not to think she is weak just because she is a woman, and shows her as strong and harsh.

The book says North Korea is the only nuclear country without limits on its leader’s power. It says the regime threatens other countries and is very cruel to its own people. Because of this, Lee says Kim Yo Jong is one of the world’s most dangerous leaders.

Lee says Kim Yo Jong is the person most likely to take power if her brother dies before his children are grown up. If she becomes leader, the book says she would probably rule just as strictly as her father and grandfather.

Background: History of North and South Korea

Korea was divided into North and South after World War II. The South followed a market economy and became rich, first under military rule, and later became a democracy. North Korea became a communist country led by Kim Il Sung, then by his son Kim Jong Il in 1994, and his grandson Kim Jong Un in 2011. Most North Koreans lived under harsh rule, poverty, and extreme hunger.

The two Koreas, with very different systems, each said they were the true Korea. The North tried to take over the South in the Korean War, but U.S. forces stopped it. North Korea stayed hostile for many years, and built nuclear weapons to protect its leaders and pressure the South.

Its weapons and threats made North Korea a major concern. The country was isolated, and people outside knew little about what was happening inside. This made it hard to understand its leaders and their decisions. Because of its unique, hereditary dictatorship, the ruling Kim family got a lot of attention from other countries..

When The Sister was published in 2023, Kim Jong Un was 39 years old and had ruled for 12 years. He was known to have a daughter who was at least ten years old, and she sometimes appeared at public events. His only full sister, Kim Yo Jong, was about 35.

What the book says
What the book is about
The Sister is a biography of Kim Yo Jong (b. 1987), sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un. Both are part of the ruling Kim family, which began with their grandfather Kim Il Sung and continued with their father Kim Jong Il.

The book tells Kim Yo Jong’s story through the history of her country, her family, and her rise to power. Author Sung-Yoon Lee says she is a key part of North Korea’s dictatorship and nuclear program. She became her brother’s closest advisor and is seen as a possible future leader.

Main ideas
 How North Korea began: The book explains how Korea was divided into two and how the Kim family built a harsh dictatorship in the North that still controls the country today.

 The Kim family and its rule: It tells the history of the Kim family, also known as the Mount Paektu bloodline, and how they created propaganda to stay in power. The book includes a family tree to help explain their complex connections.

 The Kim family’s false stories: The Kims created myths to make themselves seem almost god-like. They hid facts like their religious background, Japanese roots, and family members who left the country—things that could hurt their image. The book shows that in North Korea, such things can lead to whole families being punished, denied basic needs, or sent to concentration camps.

 Kim Yo Jong becomes known: She first appeared in public in 2011 but was not well known. Her name first appeared in state media in 2014. She became known around the world during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. The book follows her public role from 2018 to 2023. She was seen at the inter-Korean meetings in April, May, and September 2018, and at the 2018 and 2019 talks with the U.S.

 Kim Yo Jong gains power: Since at least 2014, she led the Workers' Party’s Propaganda and Agitation Department. In 2020, she became the unofficial head of the Organization and Guidance Department, giving her power to control and punish people in government. She was also named to the Politburo and the State Affairs Commission. Lee writes that by June 2020, her brother made her his deputy, saying “her words were his words.”

 The Kim family’s tricks in diplomacy: The book says the Kims used Kim Yo Jong’s friendly image in a short “charm offensive” to make other countries think North Korea was changing. Lee says some leaders, including South Korea’s Moon Jae-in, trusted the Kims too easily. In the end, North Korea returned to threats, and Kim Yo Jong began making threatening public comments.

Conclusions

Lee warns not to underestimate the Kim family. He says outsiders often misunderstand them. When North Korea seems open to peace talks, it may be a trick. Kim Yo Jong’s looks and gender may fool people, but she is ambitious and feared inside the regime.

Since 2018, she has been the regime’s top censor and spokeswoman, with strong power close to her brother, including over foreign policy. She may one day take his place as the world’s first "nuclear despotess."

Her role helps keep the regime in power. But her future is not certain. In North Korea, even family members can be at risk. Lee says she may have to think carefully about her plans, especially as Kim Jong Un’s daughter grows up.

Reception

The Sister got mostly positive reviews and was seen as the first serious and detailed biography of Kim Yo Jong.

Reviewers called it vivid, dramatic, expert, and exciting. Many praised its deep look into the Kim family and how North Korea works. Some said it gave a powerful and detailed view of Kim Yo Jong’s role and power.

Some reviewers noted the hard limits of writing about a secretive regime with few sources. But most agreed the book brought together what is known in a clear and readable way.

There were mixed views on the focus on small details like clothes or gestures. Some found it too much or guessed too far, while others said it added literary value.

Some supported the book’s warning that North Korea is often misunderstood or made fun of, hiding how brutal and dangerous it really is. Others thought the book went too far, making Kim Yo Jong seem like a “cartoonishly evil supervillain.” A few also said it lacked balance in its view of South Korean politics.

The book was often recommended for anyone interested in North Korea. It was called a must-read for both experts and everyday readers, and some said it was fast and easy to read. One reviewer said its biggest impact would be if North Koreans could read it.

The book received several awards. It was named a “book of the day” and was listed in The Guardian'''s 2023 book highlights. Booklist gave it a starred review for excellence. The Cipher Brief gave it four out of four trenchcoats. It was also named one of the best books of 2023 by The Australian and New Zealand’s National Business Review''.

The book has been published in five languages.

How the book was researched

Sung-Yoon Lee, a longtime expert on North Korea, wrote the book between 2020 and 2023, using more than 20 years of research and work advising the U.S. government.

He explained that North Korea shares little true information and often spreads false messages. To deal with this, Lee gathered every public mention of Kim Yo Jong in English, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese, with help from graduate students.

He also spoke with high-level defectors, some of whom had met Kim Yo Jong, and studied all of her official statements.

Lee watched hundreds of hours of video, especially from the 2018 summits, comparing versions made for North Korean and foreign viewers. He studied Kim Yo Jong’s movements and expressions to better understand her role and personality.

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 Other websites 
 The Sister official US website (PublicAffairs)
 The Sister official UK website (Macmillan)

Category:Political books