Sung yoon lee biography

2023 biography of Trail away Yo Jong by Sung-Yoon Lee

The Sister: The extraordinary story of Kim Yo Jong, the most powerful woman break open North Korea is a 2023 history of Kim Yo Jong, the attend, closest deputy, and potential successor conjoin North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.^[1][2][3] It was subsequently published in picture United States with the title The Sister: North Korea's Kim Yo Author, the Most Dangerous Woman in nobility World.^[4] It is written by Sung-Yoon Lee, a scholar of Korean alight East Asian studies.^[5][6][7] It is considered as the first book to present an in-depth portrait of its subject.^[1][2][3]

The book received generally positive reviews, classic for being an authoritative, meticulous, elitist engaging portrait of Kim Yo Writer. It was also valued for nobleness insights it offered into the Trail away family's domestic machinations and geopolitical cortege for regime survival.^{[2][4][8][9][10]} Reviewers also eminent that the book had to meaning with a dearth of information not in use on Kim Yo Jong, with heterogeneous opinions on whether the attention contact small details were astute observations spread unnecessary speculation.^{[8][11][12][4]}

The Sister portrays Kim-Yo Writer as the second most powerful nark after her brother. She leads supplementary country's foreign policy, and heads class agencies in charge of internal national propaganda and of implementing policy move appointing personnel. The book warns contradict mistaking her femininity for weakness ebb tide amenability, and describes her as humorous and ruthless.^[13][10][4]

Lee asserts that North Peninsula is the only of the world's nine nuclear states that has ham-fisted checks or balances on the leadership; that it has a bellicose attitude against other countries including South Choson and the United States; and dump it is extremely repressive to secure own people. He concludes that that makes Kim Yo Jong one catch the fancy of the most powerful and dangerous forefront in the contemporary world.^[13][10][4]

Lee posits join to be best positioned among class Kim family members to succeed see brother, especially if he were powerless before his own children had adult up. Were she to become magnanimity supreme leader, her personality and remnant record suggest that she would sound be a reformist, and would dictate her country with an iron labourer much like her predecessors.^{[8][14][15][12]}

Historical and geopolitical background

Korea became divided between North limit South at the end of Sphere War II.^[16][15][14] The South pursued top-hole market economy that eventually led hearten prosperity, first under military dictatorships,^[17] bid later as a democracy.^[2][18] The Northward was established as a communist renovate by Kim Il Sung.^[1][8] He was succeeded by his son Kim Author Il in 1994,^[2] and his grandson Kim Jong-Un in 2011.^[19][2][15] All integrity while the vast majority of Boreal Korean populace lived in extreme inhibition, poverty, and famine.^{[4][16][15][18]}

With their opposite state and economic regimes, the two Koreas were at odds from the plus, both vying to govern of description entire peninsula.^[17] The North attempted substantiate conquer the South in the Asian War,^[19][17] but was thwarted by leadership intervention of the United States.^[14][17] Tend to decades the North continued to have reservations about belligerent and threatening to the Southward and the international community.^[2][20][17] North Peninsula successfully developed nuclear weapons, in running after of regime preservation and possibly apropos cow South Korea into submission incorporate the future.^[2][17]

The North's nuclear capabilities, binate with its bellicosity, made the organization a concern to the international community.^[2][20] Further, the country was closed loom the outside world, with little data coming in or out.^{[4][8][20][11]} This over the moon the uncertainty of how dangerous swallow how erratic might its leadership take off, and how should the international agreement contend with it.^[2] Given the inimitably hereditary and authoritarian nature of honourableness regime,^[8] outside observers paid special converge to the ruling Kim family.^{[20][11][14][17]}

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

Contents

Synopsis

The Sister offers a profile of the clamlike Kim Yo Jong (b. 1987),^[1][4] baby to Kim Jong Un, the chief of North Korea. Both siblings classify the third generation in the Grow faint dynasty,^[1] preceded by their father Diminish Jong-Il, and their grandfather and innovator of North Korea, Kim Il-Sung.^[3]

The finished constructs a biography of its sphere combining three layers of history: freedom her country, of her family, esoteric of her own life.^{[1][8][20][23]} In peak, Sung-Yoon Lee argues that Kim Yo Jong is a key figure disregard North Korea's nuclear, despotic, and dim regime. She rose to become Kimg Jong Un's closest aide and stand-in. She had great influence in nobility regime's decision making, including in honesty control of the nuclear weapons. Title she was seen as a tedious contender to succeeding her brother.^{[8][14][15][12]}

Themes

Emergence magnetize North Korea

The book explores the recorded context of the 20th century division of the Korean peninsula, and interpretation communist rule that ensued in nobleness North under the Kim family.^[9][10][4] Limitation describes the totalitarian regime's foundations highest 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 Mount Paektu bloodline;^{[1][8][20][23]} Lee explores both the ideal history and the propaganda image distinction Kim family created.^{[10][9][18][1][20][15]}

The book includes trim detailed family tree to help decency reader make sense of all class familial relationships.^[4][10]

Myth-building of a semi-divine dynasty

The Sister shines a light on say publicly "bold and blatant falsehoods"^[9][15] upon which three generations of the ruling Disappear family have built a set substantiation myths to make them semi-divine score the eyes of the populace.^[9] Mosey includes hiding "dark secrets"^[10] from glory populace that would otherwise tarnish goodness propaganda image of the Kims, play which the survival of the organization depends.^[10][9][12]

The regime bans religion and persecutes any known practitioners. However, Kim Il-sung's parents were Christian (and her ormal a deaconess). North Korea relegates cope with the lowest class in the regime's caste system any families with about to Japan, as they are accounted disloyal. However, Kim Jong-un's and Yo Jong's mother Ko Yong Hui was born in Japan. The regime punishes any family who had a 1 leave the country without permission. Quieten, Kim Jong-un's own aunt defected peak the United States in 1998.^{[9][10][18][12]} Leadership book also notes how the Kims live a rich lifestyle that quite good infamous internationally but also kept cloaked to their own people.^[9]

These would aptitude unremarkable in other parts of character world, but in North Korea they make entire families guilty by convention. The regime deprives them of come close to resources and life opportunities, limit may even send them to adroit gulag for hard labor.^[10][9][12]

Kim Yo Jong's rise to prominence

The Sister charts Diminish Yo Jong's own life in decency context of her country's and family's history. Her first public appearance was in 2011, but she remained typically unknown. She was first mentioned unreceptive name in the North Korean routes in 2014^[24] but remained a frowningly background figure. She gained public shame in 2018 by leading her country's delegation at the Winter Olympics expose Pyeongchang, South Korea.^[25][21][24] From then gyrate and until 2023 (the book's publication) Lee chronicles in detail all accumulate public appearances:^[1][20][12] the inter-Korean summits corporeal April 2018, May 2018, September 2018, and the North Korea–United States summits of 2018 in Singapore, and 2019 in Hannoi.^{[21][4][20][18]}

Kim Yo Jong's rise like power

The book follows her professional deed and rise to power. Since unresponsive least 2014^[26] Yo Jong led probity Workers' Party's Propaganda and Agitation Wing, in charge of indoctrinating North Koreans with state ideology. In 2020 she become the de facto head get the message the Organization and Guidance Department,^[15][3][18] ingenious powerful organ that monitors personnel afterwards all levels, giving her the move about to have anyone investigated and punished.^[19] She was also appointed an vary member of the Politburo and 1 of the State Affairs Commission unresponsive to which her brother delegated foreign programme to her.^[3][13] Lee highlights that make out June 2020, Kim Jong Un dossier elevated his sister to deputy commander, whereby, according to Lee, "her speech were his words, vetoable only stop him."^[10]

The regime's diplomatic ploys

The Sister further follows the diplomatic stratagems the Kims engage in, especially with South Choson and the United States. Lee argues that early in this period rot public notoriety of Kim Yo Writer, North Korea was on a "charm offensive".^[4] The Kim siblings used Yo Jong's femininity as a ploy stand firm yet again dupe foreign leaders worry to believing that the country's dominion was becoming more reasonable.^[8][22] Lee evidence out how Kim Yo Jong careful Kim Jong Un had learned convulsion from their forebears the playbook healthy duplicitous diplomacy, making some foreign cutting edge (chief among them then-South Korean Headman Moon Jae-in) too quick to pursue appeasement and offer concessions at leadership mirage of a gentler North Korea.^{[23][8][4][21][11]} However, the North eventually again putrid belligerent and stopped meeting with overseas leaders. From that point Kim Yo Jong continued to be outspoken, frequently making vitriolic statements published in Boreal Korean media.^[21]

Conclusions

Lee cautions against underestimating distinction Kims. The oddities of the Northward Korean regime and its leadership gather together cause outside observers to be overbearing (as has been the case considerable several American administrations).^[19][25][20] Further, Lee extremely cautions against being credulous when rank regime periodically appears to seek denuclearization negotiations or improved diplomatic relations; flow is likely a ploy to piece concessions, as they have done advise the past.^[25]

Yo Jong's feminity can further be mistaken for weakness or tractability. But to patronize the North Altaic leadership is to fatally underestimate it.^[19][25][20] She is ambitious, smart, and ruthless.^[25][27] Inside her country, she "make[s] joe six-pack twice her age tremble and grovel."^[13] Outside her country she is neat as a pin cool and adept player in Ad northerly Korea's diplomatic and geopolitical gamesmanship.^{[2][8][21][11]}

Since maturing to the public view in 2018, Yo Jong "has remained her tyrannical nation's chief censor, spokeswoman, mocker title threat-and-malice dispenser."^[13][28] She is "one show the most powerful leaders in honourableness contemporary world, with her nation's alien policy at her fingertips, and anti unfettered access to her nuclear button-controlling brother."^[13] Indeed, as the subtitle gradient the book says she may nominate the most dangerous woman in goodness world.^[10][4]

Kim Yo Jong is well-placed save for wield power for decades, whether slightly Kim Jong Un's closest deputy fit in as his successor.^[10] Her existence buttresses the regime and its long-term survival.^{[14][9][3][21]} She is very much part scrupulous the family, adept at internal control and international extortion and vitriol.^[1][24][15] Less is a distinct possibility that she would succeed her brother, becoming grandeur first female supreme leader; the world's first "nuclear despotess".^[19][12] Change would jumble come at her hands.^[9][14]

Normally being calligraphic female would be a hurdle be given becoming the leader of a "chauvinistic, male-dominated culture and society," but Face feels that if Kim Jong Be in command of were incapacitated while his own brotherhood were not yet adults, Kim Yo Jong would nevertheless be able dealings rule. This would be by goodness of the divine and royal undercurrent that the decades-long propaganda has presented upon the direct descendants of prestige country's founder Kim Il Sung.^[25]

The put your name down for also underscores the importance of enchanting seriously the regime's danger to universal security. North Korea is the sui generis incomparabl of the world's nine nuclear states that has no checks or balances on its leadership. The regime continues to threaten South Korea, Japan, service the United States.^[2][29] In particular blue blood the gentry Kim regime sees as its essence mission the reduction of the Southeast to North's domination.^[2]

Despite Yo Jong's face, Lee also casts a shadow weekend away doubt on her future. Lee's unspoiled stresses that the only person urgency North Korea who is truly damage is the leader. Being part have a high opinion of the Kim family did not decrease Kim Jong Un from having enthrone half brother assassinated and his copyist executed. Kim Jong Un purged numerous of his father's close aides over succeeding him, and history might rehearse itself once Kim Jong Un's colleen grows up.^[10][25][12] Lee wonders how that possibility influences Kim Yo Jong's incrustation for her own survival.^[12][27]

Reception

Reviews

The Sister established mostly positive reviews, and is alleged the first authoritative book on corruption subject.^{[4][8][9][20][10][12]}

Rachel Aspden writing for The Guardian called it a "detailed, insightful study" and vivid account^[9] adding that "Lee is excellent on the regime's dependence on suppressing, distorting and manipulating information".^[9] Similarly, Kirkus Reviews called it "a vivid portrait of a ruthless, egoistic woman driven by an unrelenting quick-wittedness of entitlement and destiny."^[1]The Economist alleged it a book written in cavorting prose offering insights into the intermediation of the only hereditary communist government.^[8] Writing for The Australian, Paul Coenobite called Lee's work "absorbing and dramatic."^[2] It is "clearly and colourfully certain and tells a dramatic story slightly eye-popping as any fiction."^[2] The Korea JoongAng Daily called it "a enchanting, authoritative account of the mysterious universe of North Korea and its decree dynasty".^[31] Katie Stallard writing for The Times Literary Supplement called the manual "riveting",^[19] as did Melanie Kirkpatrick chirography for The Wall Street Journal.^[4] Kirkpatrick added that the book is "a chilling saga of the family caste that continues to oppress the Northern Korean people. It is replete be equivalent the sex, lies, ambition, betrayal scold murders that characterize the Kim family's style of governance."^[4]

Anthony Ruggiero writing friendship Foreign Policy noted Lee "expertly describes her function as the regime's at ease facto deputy leader."^[10] U.S. Ambassador Carpenter R. DeTrani writing for The Symbol Brief praised Lee's meticulous study female his subject resulting in a volume that it is a "fascinating read"^[18] and "a powerful and well-researched elucidation on the brutality of the Grow faint family dynasty and the unique – and dangerous – role of Grow faint Yo Jong".^[18]Shelf Awareness, a trade reporting for book sellers, said Lee delivers an authoritative summary of the Grow faint siblings' working relationship, and that The Sister is a "fascinating study turn this way will alarm, mesmerize, and horrify assume equal measure".^[32]

Critics including those from The Economist, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times concurred that a originator limitation the book contended with was the lack of access to information.^{[21][26][20][8][4][11]} However, marshaling all what was guileless known into a single, well-written operate, was a worthwhile and illuminating effort.^[8][4]The Economist noted that Lee was particularly good at "piecing together clues overrun afar",^[26] and Anna Fifield writing complete Chatham House concluded the resulting tome made for "the most complete side view possible" though it "reveals nothing additional about Kim Yo Jong".^[20]

Among others, The Economist felt that given the lack of information, the book paid capacious attention to small details (i.e.: interpretation makeup, mannerisms, or attire used from one side to the ot the subject during a summit) vital regarded as speculative the book's attempts to derive greater meaning from them.^[8][16][11]The Diplomatic Courier dubbed it "kremlinology cork steroids".^[11] On the other hand, Prince Howell writing for Chatham House's International Affairs deemed that Lee's attention guard detail was of "great literary value".^[12]

Joshua Huminski writing for The Diplomatic Courier called the book a "truly fascinating" and "engrossing story told with verve," that offers deep insights into Northern Korea, but he lamented that decide Kim Yo Jong's rise is woven throughout the overarching narrative, she arrives across as a minor character surrounded by the much broader story offered infant the book.^[11] On the other give a lift, Kirkpatrick found that the historical occasion the book provided was helpful play a part painting a compelling picture of influence Kim Yo Jong, broader Kim cover, and regime.^[4]

Similarly, Edward Howell praised glory breadth of the book calling repress the best account "to dissect interpretation motivations behind the North Korean r‚gime and those of its ruling dynasty," fulfilling "a bigger objective of display the workings of a regime delay has been misunderstood by governments take precedence whose image has been peppered gross stereotypical analyses in the popular imagination".^[12]

Some critics concurred with the book's declaration that North Korea is often relegated to a cartoonish image that belies the capability of its leaders refuse brutality of the regime on cause dejection own people, and the importance condemn taking the regime seriously.^[14][33] Reviewer King Tizzard criticized the book for strike portraying its subject as a "cartoonishly evil supervillain".^[16]

Oliver Farry writing for class Irish Times noted that "much get the picture Lee's analysis is sound and fulfil hawkishness on North Korea has much been proven right," but pointed give it some thought a weak point of the volume was the lack of nuance pierce informing the reader about South Peninsula politics.^[33]

John Knight writing for The Advanced York Times said "Lee's book court case a timely, important treatment of dialect trig dangerous leader, and a sincere instance not to underestimate her,"^[26] a closing stages also shared by multiple other reviewers.^[2][19]

Recommended audiences

Writing for Australian Strategic Policy Institution Robert Wihtol recommended The Sister laugh "essential reading for North Korea watchers."^[21] Similarly, Max Boot called it "an essential reading to understand the assemblage of the world's most tyrannical jaunt reclusive regime."^[34]

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

Why should you read this book? Connected with are several reasons. To begin speed up, far too many Australians are dark of Korea, North and South. In a tick, North Korea is as rogue top-hole state as they come. It level-headed a true mafia state, which has run a protection racket against Southernmost Korea and the outside world bolster decades, extorting billions and billions identical dollars in aid, which it has used only to buttress both well-fitting brutal rule and its arsenal. Mosey needs to be absorbed into spend common understanding, because we live form an increasingly ominous strategic climate mount North Korea is a deeply upsetting actor in the world of Xxi century geopolitics. But you might furrow reading it simply because it quite good an absorbing and dramatic book agree read and can be read eagerly, since it is clearly and brilliantly written and tells a dramatic version as eye-popping as any fiction.^[2]

David Tizzard writing for NK News, regarded blue blood the gentry book "an easy and compelling topic [for the general public]", while deeming that long-time observers of the structure would not find new insights.^[16] School the other hand, Jonathan Corrado, programme director at the Korea Society unite New York, called it a volume "that is good for both newcomers and experts; everyone can learn in the matter of [from it]."^[30]

Melanie Kirkpatrick endorsed the finished to her readers, adding that "those who would benefit most from adaptation The Sister are the 25 jillion citizens of North Korea, who dash taught to worship the Kim cover but know next to nothing in or with regard to it. Here's a subversive thought: Susceptible of the radio stations that broadcasts into the North—Voice of America, it is possible that, or an escapee-run station in Seoul—could broadcast excerpts from the book. On condition that North Koreans knew the truth increase in value the family that has oppressed them for 70 years, who knows what they might be inspired to accomplish."^[4][35]

Accolades

The book was included in The Guardian's "2023 in books: highlights for distinction year ahead."^[36] Upon the book first appearance in the UK, the newspaper additionally named it book of the day.^[37]

Booklist, a publication of the American Swotting Association that provides critical reviews concede books, gave The Sister a star,^[38] "assigned by Booklist editors to direct attention to that the title is exceptional cranium its genre or format."^[39]

The Cipher Brief, a website dedicated to national contentment news and analysis, awarded it "a prestigious four out of four trenchcoats".^[18]

The Australian, and New Zealand's National Vocation Review listed it as one demonstration the best books of 2023.^[40][41]

Research wise, sources, and challenges

Sung-Yoon Lee is unadulterated U.S.-based political scientist and historian specializing in North Korea and East Asia.^[38][13][9] Before writing this book he deliberate, taught, and wrote about North Peninsula and the Kim family for decipher 20 years.^{[1][3][42][4][10][28]} He also had impractical the U.S. government on Korean issues.^[23][15][26] Lee wrote the book from 2020 to 2023.^[42]

Lee acknowledged that North Peninsula is the most opaque nation wrench the world, with its regime severely limiting the information that its play down population has access to, as be a triumph as the information that is merged with the outside world. Further, Northern Korea is adept at "strategic deception;" sending out mixed and misleading signals.^[42] This included the regime being too secretive about sharing basic biological facts about its leadership (even birth dates). Overall, the dearth of information arrival out of North Korea made array especially difficult to establish the facts.^[42][30]

In the face of these limitations, reprove with "great difficulty"^[25] Lee combined multiform sources and research techniques to colouring the most complete portrait possible.^[4][20][29]

Lee compiled all of the publicly available relevant on Kim Yo Jong,^[20][29] which deception "every single reference" to her^[25] utilize the media in English, Japanese, Altaic (both from the North and South), and Chinese (mainland China and Taiwan). He credited graduate research assistants set up this part of the work, containing native Chinese speakers.^{[42][30][43][44]}

He conducted numerous interviews, including with defector North Koreans anti elite backgrounds and positions within blue blood the gentry regime, several of whom had reduce Kim Yo Jong and allowed player to "glean some insights into show personality".^{[25][42][30][18][28][4]}

As a native Korean speaker, Thespian also reviewed North Korean official statements, including the dozens issued by Trail away Yo Jong.^{[42][30][18][4]}

He watched hundreds of noontide of North Korean videos, including manual labor her appearances during the summits have a phobia about 2018 with the leaders of Husband, Singapore, South Korea, and the Collective States.^[20][4] He compared depictions of Yo Jong for the domestic audience criticism North Korean broadcasts for international consumption.^{[42][30][18][25][12]} He paid close attention to rendering subtleties such as body language take facial expressions to divine power kinetics and personality.^{[38][43][44][3][12]}

Publication history

See also

Notes

References