Why we shouldn’t rule out a woman as North Korea’s next leader

Kim Yo Jong attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi in March 2019. (Jorge Silva/Reuters)

Amid general uncertainty about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, speculation about who might replace him has reached a fever pitch. Commentators seem especially intrigued by the role of his sister Kim Yo Jong, who has drawn attention by her highly public role in the regime’s activities.

Yet some analysts insist that her gender makes her a non-contender, arguing that a deeply patriarchal society like North Korea, infused with traditional Confucian values, would never accept her as Kim 4.0.

In fact, she might be more prepared to take over than we think.

Click here to see the entire article by Jung H. Pak in The Washington Post
From The Washington Post, 05/01/20