North Korean leader Kim Jongpun’s aunt made her first public appearance in about six years, state media reported yesterday, quelling rumors that she was purged or executed by her nephew after helping him inherit power from his father.
According to a Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) dispatch, the name of Kim Kyong-hui was included in a list of top North Korean officials who watched a performance marking Lunar New Year’s Day with Kim Jong-un at a Pyongyang theater on Saturday.
North Korea’s main newspaper also released a photo showing Kim Kyong-hui sitting near Kim Jong-un and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, at the Samjiyon Theater.
Photo: Korean Central News Agency via AP
Kim Kyong-hui, 73, was once an influential figure in North Korea as the only sister of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the father of Kim Jong-un.
She had initially kept a low profile during the early part of her brother’s rule, but she later frequently accompanied him on his inspection trips after he suffered a stroke in 2008.
While taking up many top posts, such as a four-star army general and a member of the powerful Politburo, she was also believed to have played a key role in grooming Kim Jong-un as the next leader.
Kim Jong-un eventually took power after his father died of a heart attack in late 2011.
Kim Kyong-hui’s fate had been in doubt after Kim Jong-un had her husband and then-North Korea’s No. 2 official, Jang Song-thaek, executed for treason and corruption in December 2013.
His death was reported by Pyongyang and remains the most significant in a series of executions or purges that Kim Jong-un has engineered in what outside experts believe were attempts to remove potential rivals and cement his grip on power.
Days after Jang’s execution, Kim Kyong-hui’s name was mentioned in a KCNA dispatch as a member of a funeral committee for another top official. However, she missed a state ceremony commemorating the second anniversary of Kim Jong-il’s death days later.
Her name had since never been mentioned in North Korean state media until yesterday’s report.
Some North Korea monitoring groups in Seoul and foreign media outlets had speculated that Kim Jong-un had his aunt executed or purged, or she died of health problems.
Outside experts said Kim Kyong-hui had long suffered from liver and heart problems and high blood pressure.
Analyst Cheong Seong-chang at South Korea’s private Sejong Institute said that Kim Kyong-hui’s re-emergence suggested Kim Jong-un was attempting to strengthen the unity of his ruling family as he is pushing to harden his position toward the US in stalled nuclear negotiations.
However, Kim Kyong-hui is unlikely to regain her political influence, as she now has no position in the politburo, which has already been filled with new figures, Cheong said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned