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Kim Jong-un’s Aunt Appears to Survive Husband’s Purge Kim Jong-un’s Aunt Appears to Survive Husband’s Purge
(about 7 hours later)
SEOUL, South Korea — Kim Kyong-hee, an aunt of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, appeared to have survived the purge and execution of her husband, Jang Song-thaek, as her name re-emerged in a leadership list in the North’s state-run media over the weekend. SEOUL, South Korea — Kim Kyong-hui, an aunt of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, appears to have survived the purge and execution of her husband, Jang Song-thaek, as her name re-emerged in a leadership list in the North’s state-run news media over the weekend.
The North’s Korean Central News Agency on Saturday included Ms. Kim’s name in the roster of top officials appointed to a national committee in charge of organizing a state funeral for Kim Kuk-tae, a former party secretary who died on Friday at age 89. The North’s Korean Central News Agency on Saturday included Ms. Kim’s name in the roster of top officials appointed to a national committee in charge of organizing a state funeral for Kim Kuk-tae, a former party secretary who died on Friday at 89.
In North Korea, whether an official’s name is included in such a list is an important gauge on whether the official is favored by the regime. Ms. Kim was placed sixth in the list that included most of the well-known top party and military figures. The list also included Vice Premier Ro Du-chol, one of the people said to have been close to Mr. Jang, discrediting recent news reports in South Korea that Mr. Ro might be one of the senior North Koreans allegedly fleeing a widening political purge at home following Mr. Jang’s dramatic fall from power. In North Korea, whether an official’s name is included in such a list is an important gauge of whether the official is favored by the government. Ms. Kim was placed sixth on the list that included most of the top party and military figures. The list also included Vice Premier Ro Du-chol, one of the people said to have been close to Mr. Jang, discrediting recent news reports in South Korea that Mr. Ro might be one of the senior North Koreans said to be fleeing a widening political purge after Mr. Jang’s downfall.
Mr. Jang, 67, long considered to be the No. 2 man and mentor of Kim Jong-un, was executed on Thursday on charges of plotting to overthrow Mr. Kim’s government, North Korea announced on Friday. North Korea also indicated that it was purging those close to Mr. Jang, who was accused of building a network of followers in the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, the government and the Korean People’s Army. Mr. Jang, 67, long considered to be the North’s No. 2 man and Kim Jong-un’s mentor, was executed on Thursday, the North announced, for plotting to overthrow Mr. Kim’s government. North Korea also indicated that it was purging those close to Mr. Jang, who was accused of building a network of followers in the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, the government and the Korean People’s Army.
Mr. Jang and his wife had been widely seen as parent-like figures for Kim Jong-un helping their nephew establish himself as supreme leader. As her husband’s purge has unfolded in past weeks, Ms. Kim’s name has also disappeared from North Korean media, triggering speculation over her fate. Mr. Jang and his wife had been widely seen as parentlike figures for Kim Jong-un, helping their nephew establish himself as the supreme leader. As Mr. Jang’s purge unfolded in past weeks, Ms. Kim’s name has also disappeared from North Korean news media, prompting speculation over her fate.
Although the entire extended family of a traitor was often executed or sent to a prison camp in North Korea, analysts have said that Kim Jong-un would likely save Ms. Kim. She is the only, beloved sister of Mr. Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, who ruled North Korea before him. Typically, the entire extended family of a traitor is executed or sent to a prison camp in North Korea, but analysts have said that Kim Jong-un would be likely to spare Ms. Kim. She is the only sister of Mr. Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, who ruled North Korea before him.
Diminutive, frail and reportedly sick, Ms. Kim, 67, seldom appeared in public during her brother’s rule. But following his death, she raised her public profile, assuming more titles, accompanying Mr. Kim in his public appearances and attending the meetings presided over by him. Diminutive, frail and reportedly sick, Ms. Kim, 67, seldom appeared in public during her brother’s rule. But after his death, she raised her public profile, assuming more titles, accompanying Kim Jong-un during his public appearances and attending meetings where he has presided.
Sitting erect and grim-faced in an oversize chair, she had been the only female face in the North Korean leadership filled with uniformed generals. Sitting erect and grim-faced in an oversize chair, she had been the only female face in the North Korean leadership that is filled with uniformed generals.
Analysts have seen her as a regent helping guide her nephew through Pyongyang’s treacherous internal politics to ensure a smooth generational change in her family dynasty. But her true status within the regime and her relations with her husband had always been a subject of speculation. Analysts have seen her as a regent helping to guide her nephew through the North’s treacherous internal politics to ensure a smooth generational change in her family’s dynasty. But her true status and her relationship with her husband had always been a subject of speculation.
Some analysts said that her value to Mr. Kim was largely symbolic: She was the eldest surviving blood kin for Mr. Kim, one of the links Mr. Kim had to his grandfather, the North’s founding president, Kim Il-sung, whose godlike status among North Koreans helped legitimize Mr. Kim’s own rule. Following Mr. Jang’s execution, the North’s state-controlled media exhorted its people to stay loyal to the “blood line” that Mr. Kim inherited from his father and his grandfather. Some analysts said that her value to Mr. Kim was largely symbolic: She was his eldest surviving blood relative, one of the links Mr. Kim had to his grandfather, the North’s founding president, Kim Il-sung, whose godlike status among North Koreans helped legitimize Mr. Kim’s own rule. After Mr. Jang’s execution, the North’s state news media exhorted its people to stay loyal to the “blood line” that Mr. Kim inherited from his father and his grandfather.
Even before Mr. Jang’s downfall, analysts in South Korea had speculated that he was estranged from his wife. The couple’s only child, a daughter, committed suicide in France in 2006, according to the South Korean media. In a party meeting on Dec. 8 that condemned Mr. Jang as a traitor, he was called a depraved and corrupt womanizer. Even before Mr. Jang’s downfall, analysts in South Korea had speculated that he had been estranged from his wife. The couple’s only child, a daughter, committed suicide in France in 2006, according to the South Korean news media. In a party meeting on Dec. 8 that condemned Mr. Jang as a traitor, he was called a depraved and corrupt womanizer.
Yoon Sang-hyun, a deputy floor leader of the governing Saenuri Party in South Korea, told reporters on Dec. 8 that Ms. Kim had been “separated” from Mr. Jang and did not oppose his purge.Yoon Sang-hyun, a deputy floor leader of the governing Saenuri Party in South Korea, told reporters on Dec. 8 that Ms. Kim had been “separated” from Mr. Jang and did not oppose his purge.
North Korean media outlets reported on Saturday that Kim Jong-un visited a military institute that has designed major buildings in the North. It was his first reported public activity since the South Korean intelligence agency first reported Mr. Jang’s likely fall from power two weeks ago. North Korea has purged top officials and family members of the leader before, but it was highly unusual for the government to reveal the execution of one of them to the public. Analysts remained divided over whether it was a sign of instability or a demonstration of confidence on Mr. Kim’s part.
North Korea also said its government held a massive ceremony in Pyongyang on Saturday to hand out medals to exemplary soldiers and workers, the Korean Central News Agency reported. On Sunday, the news agency said Mr. Kim visited the construction site of a ski resort his government was building near his country’s east coast. Secretary of State John Kerry condemned the execution of Mr. Kim’s uncle in extraordinarily strong and personal language.
Such visits appeared to have been designed to show to the people that Mr. Kim was in charge despite the removal of Mr. Jang, who had been a fixture in the North Korean leadership for decades and widely seen as the second-most influential man. “It tells us a lot about, first of all, how ruthless and reckless he is, and it also tells us a lot about how insecure he is,” Mr. Kerry said in an interview with the ABC News program “This Week” that was broadcast on Sunday but taped before Mr. Kerry left on an Asian trip.
While rewarding those loyal to Mr. Kim, however, the regime vowed ruthless punishment for anyone Mr. Kim saw as a challenge — a message driven home by Mr. Jang’s execution, which has been reported as top news in North Korean media. North Korea had purged top officials and family members of the leader before, but it was highly unusual for the regime to reveal the execution of one of them to the public. Analysts remained divided over whether it was a sign of instability or a demonstration of confidence on Mr. Kim’s part. Mr. Kerry acknowledged the difficulty of assessing the deeply opaque North Korean government. But he said there was sufficient evidence to view Mr. Kim as “spontaneous, erratic, still worried about his place in the power structure and maneuvering to eliminate any potential kind of a adversary or competitor.”
In an editorial on Saturday, the Rodong Sinmun, the North’s main party newspaper, said a true revolutionary was “one who has no qualms about pointing his gun barrel at anyone who dare challenge the leader’s authority, no matter who he is, even if he is a blood kin of the leader.” The secretary of state said the recent developments underscored the urgency of efforts to denuclearize North Korea. His language, however, did not seem likely to lure North Korea to closer cooperation. Mr. Kim, he said, leads a “ruthless, horrendous dictatorship.”
The editorial invoked a famous North Korean slogan: “How dare you challenge the leader?” In the North Korean propaganda, it was credited to Choe Hyon. A former North Korean defense minister and fierce loyalist for Mr. Kim’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, Mr. Choe was said to have brandished his pistol during a party meeting in 1956 that the late Mr. Kim used to purge his rivals and establish his family’s monolithic rule that continues today. Separately, Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, said the execution not only sent a worrisome message about Mr. Kim, but should also severely embarrass China, North Korea’s closest ally.
Mr. Choe fought alongside Kim Il-sung as Korean guerrillas who attacked Japanese colonialists in the early 20th century. The offspring of these guerrillas formed the loyalist core of the North Korean elites. Kim Kuk-tae, who died on Friday, was one of them. Hence, a state funeral for him. “I think it’s very obvious this young man is capable of some very aberrational behavior, and given the toys that he has, I think it’s very dangerous,” Mr. McCain said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “You would think that the Chinese would understand that, as well.”
Mr. Choe’s son is Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae. The top political officer in the Korean People’s Army, he is now considered the North’s second most influential man following Mr. Jang’s execution. He has risen rapidly in the North Korean hierarchy since Kim Jong-un took power following his father’s death in December 2011. By April last year, he outranked Mr. Jang by winning a seat in the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Workers’ Party. He accompanied Mr. Kim in his public appearances more often than any other North Korean official this year. “They’ve got to rein this young man in — and they can.”
But “in the feudalistic Stalinist system of North Korea, even Choe Ryong-hae is nothing more than a ‘disciple or warrior of the leader’ who can be dismissed overnight,” said Cheong Seong-chang, a long-time researcher on the North Korean political system at Sejong Institute in South Korea, citing the fates of some of the people who had previously been known as a No. 2 man in Pyongyang. Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae, the top political officer in the Korean People’s Army, is now considered the North’s second most influential man after Mr. Jang’s execution.
But “in the feudalistic Stalinist system of North Korea, even Choe Ryong-hae is nothing more than a ‘disciple or warrior of the leader’ who can be dismissed overnight,” said Cheong Seong-chang, a researcher on the North Korean political system at Sejong Institute in South Korea, citing the fates of some of the people who were each previously known as the No. 2 man in North Korea.

Brian Knowlton contributed reporting from Washington.