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Did Kim Jong-un delegate power to younger sister to 'relieve stress' and avert blame in case of policy failure?

'Although Chairman Kim still exerts absolute power, he has gradually transferred his authority compared to the past,' the NIS in South Korea stated
PUBLISHED AUG 20, 2020
Kim Jong Un and sister Kim Yo-jong (Getty Images)
Kim Jong Un and sister Kim Yo-jong (Getty Images)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has passed on some of his power to his younger sister Kim Yo-jong “to relieve stress from his reign”. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) in South Korea said that the transfer of authority could be in order to “relieve stress from Kim’s reign and avert culpability in the event of policy failure”.

As reported by The Daily Express South Korea politician Ha Tae-keung told the Korean Herald: “In regards to Kim Jong-un’s circumstances, ‘delegation of power’ was mentioned. Kim Jong-un still exerts absolute power, but in comparison to the past, some of the authority has been transferred little by little. Kim Yo-jong is a de facto second-in-command." While the NIS said: "Although Chairman Kim still exerts absolute power, he has gradually transferred his authority compared to the past, and it is not the decision of the successor or the rule of the successor."

According to the NIS, though Yo-jong has been given the majority of the authority by her elder brother, she is not the only one to receive power from him. It has been said that the controversial leader will pass on more responsibilities to other close aides, which includes his younger brother Kim Yeo-Jeong, who is the first vice president of the North Korean Labor Party. While new Prime Minister Kim Tok-hun and Vice-Chairman Pak Pong-ju have already taken control of the economic sector.

The new development comes weeks after it was rumored that Jong-un is not well with many speculating that he had died. He even missed the 'Day of the Sun’ event to celebrate his grandfather, state founder Kim Il-sung, in late April.

A report in May stated that the stress of being the supreme leader of the hermit nation along with excessive boozing may have resulted in Jong-un’s serious health issues. A contributor to a South Korean outlet, Daily NK, said that the 36-year-old might not be dead, and supposedly “had something wrong health-wise due to either excessive drinking or overwork." The report stated that though "we do not know exactly" about the gravity of Kim's health, "he may have retired to his villa in Wonsan to rest.”

“Therefore, he must have felt that economic issues should be left to the experts, Prime Minister Kim Jae Ryong and Vice-Chairman Park Pong Ju. What happened next, however, was unexpected,” contributor Chung Chang Yeol wrote in the Daily NK.
While in June, Japan said it has has "some suspicions" about the Pyongyang leader’s health amid the Covid-19, reigniting rumors about his possible death. The defense minister of Japan, Taro Kono, said during a press briefing on June 25 that recent movements in North Korea were “all very strange”. "We have some suspicions about his [Kim Jong-un’s] health,” the minister said, adding "very strange movements" in the country were mostly precautionary measures taken by the state to ensure their leader is not infected as coronavirus pandemic spreads around North Korea.

Kono also mentioned that his country, the US, and some other nations have been discussing and sharing information about Jong-Un, but added that he was "not allowed to discuss intelligence issues."

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