Join the Oxford International Relations Society and Dr Sung-Yoon Lee for a discussion on Kim Yo Jong, de-facto deputy to her brother, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, and the most powerful woman in North Korea.

When: 22 April 2024, 5-6:30 pm.
Where: Sir Michael Dummett Lecture Theatre, Christ Church.

How did Kim Yo Jong, who has threatened to nuke South Korea, become the ruthless chief propagandist, internal administrator and foreign policymaker for her brother’s totalitarian regime? Dr Lee’s new book, The Sister, uncovers the truth about Kim Yo Jong, her close bond with Kim Jong Un and the lessons in manipulation they learned from their father. Lee also examines the iron grip the Kim dynasty has on their country, the grotesque deaths of family members deemed disloyal, and the signs that Kim Yo Jong has been positioned as her brother’s successor should he die while his own children are young.

Sung-Yoon Lee is a Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a specialist on North Korea. He was previously the Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor in Korean Studies and Assistant Professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Dr Lee has advised senior-most officials in the US government and is an outspoken proponent of several policies aimed at changing the North Korean regime towards a path of denuclearization and improvement of human rights, while keeping the peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

The event will be moderated by Dr Edward Howell, Korea Foundation Fellow with the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House and Lecturer in Politics at Christ Church. Dr Howell is the author of North Korea and the Global Nuclear Order and a senior member of the Oxford IR Society.

~ Oxford International Relations Society