Will a woman run North Korea? Kim Yo-jong outshines male rivals

Filepic: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signing a guestbook next to his sister Kim Yo-jong, right, inside the Peace House at the border village of Panmunjom in Demilitarized Zone in April 2018. With North Korea saying nothing so far about outside media reports that leader Jong-un may be unwell, there’s renewed worry about who’s next in line to run a nuclear-armed country that’s been ruled by the same family for seven decades. - AP

PYONGYANG: Of all the family members who could eventually take the reins from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, his sister seems like the obvious choice.

Kim Yo Jong, in her early 30s, has been by her brother’s side at summits with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, sat behind Vice President Mike Pence while representing North Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics and became the first immediate member of the ruling family to visit Seoul, where she delivered a personal message from her brother inviting South Korean President Moon Jae-in to a summit.