The women in Kim Jong Un`s life

In the era of young North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, two women have drawn the most attention in Pyongyang: his wife Ri Sol Ju, 23, and his sister Kim Yo Jong, 25. Ri was first introduced by state media at the end of last month and surprisingly, she accompanied her husband on nine of 13 field trips. Her beauty and fashion are eye-catching. Not to be outdone, the North Korean leader’s sister drew attention when she sobbed at the funeral of their father Kim Jong Il.

Ri provides a contrast to her grandmother-in-law Kim Jong Suk, whom North Korea to create an image of the "mother" of North Korea. Ri does not wear traditional Korean costumes unlike Kim Jong Suk and Kim Song Ae, the second wife of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung. Ri also does not hide her feelings. Ri and her husband walk arm in arm and she burst into laughter after watching a dolphin show. Ri also seems to care little about her in-laws, including Jang Song Taek, Kim Jong Un’s uncle and guardian and considered the No. 2 man in the North, her husband`s aunt Kim Kyong Hui, and revolutionary seniors in their 70s.

In the case of the North Korean leader`s sister, Kim Yo Jong, who is the daughter of the late Kim Jong Il and Ko Young Hee, has an uncontrollable freewheeling lifestyle. North Korean state television released footage of an event to celebrate the opening of an amusement park in Pyongyang at the end of last month. There, she hopped over the flower garden while the power elite of the North`s ruling Workers` Party and military were standing in line. She laughed as if she could not stand watching her brother seriously raise his hand in salute. Rumor has it that she directed the Moranbong concert that featured Walt Disney characters, a capitalist move, and a North Korean version of a girl pop group.

The two women in Kim Jong Un`s life have yet to stand side by side. Both studied abroad, with Ri majoring in singing in China and Kim studying in Switzerland. Human nature does not change in North Korea. The traditional three-verse poetry of 19th-century Korean poet Kim Cheon-taek says, “My sister-in-law is as sharp as a new awl standing out on a three-year-old mesh bag.” The new leader’s grand aunt Kim Kyong Hui, 66, and Kim Jong Il’s last wife Kim Ok, 48, who was with the late leader until his death, are still alive. How the power struggle among the four women surrounding the young leader will develop is attracting attention.

Editorial Writer Ha Tae-won (triplets@donga.com)