Kim Yo-jong’s visit leaves positive impression for inter-Korean relations

President Moon Jae-in has lunch with Kim Yong-nam, the president of the Presidium of the North Korean Supreme People‘s Assembly, and Kim Yo-jong, the first vice director of the central committee of the North Korean Workers‘ Party (KWP) at the Blue House on Feb. 10. (Blue House Photo Pool)

“If the leadership of the South and North have the will, we can make rapid progress,” she tells President Moon

Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of the North Korean Workers' Party Chairman Kim Jong-un and also the first vice director of the central committee of the North Korean Workers' Party (KWP), visited South Korea for the Winter Olympics as a sort of "special envoy" along with Kim Yong-nam, the president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly. They returned to North Korea on Feb. 11 after a stay of three days and two nights.

Kim Yo-jong's presence attracted extraordinary attention because it was the first visit to the South since the Korean War by a member of the Kim Il-sung dynasty. Since her arrival at Incheon International Airport on Feb. 9, she has been reserved in public, but her ready bright smile has left a positive impression on everyone who has seen her. Wearing little makeup and dresses, jackets, skirts, or slacks in plain black, gray, or white, she presents an unadorned, tidy look.

However, this simple appearance belies her political clout. Like Choe Hwi, chairman of North Korea's National Sports Guidance Committee, she has been appointed a member of the Workers' Party Politburo. During their visit, she yielded the place of honor to Kim Yong-nam but showed little deference to other members of the North's entourage. Though Kim Yong-nam is the nominal head of state, it was Kim Yo-jong who acted as a special envoy to present her brother's letter to South Korean President Moon, which clearly shows the special status she holds in the North.

After attending the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Games on the first day of her visit, she and others in her group were treated to a luncheon at the Blue House, hosted by President Moon, with whom she actively engaged in conversation. As she presented Kim Jong-un's letter to President Moon, she said, "I hope that we will see you in Pyongyang in the near future and that you will be a driving force in laying a new path toward unification for future generations."

Kim Yo-jong, the first vice director of the central committee of the North Korean Workers‘ Party (KWP) smiles as she arrives at Incheon International Airport on Feb. 9.

When President Moon asked her what she thought about the Olympic opening ceremony, she said, "I enjoyed it all, and especially liked seeing our teams of athletes making their entrance together." She added, "We are so close. It's too bad that coming here is so difficult. If the leadership of the South and the North have the will, we can make rapid progress in spite of our long separation."

At events after this, Kim Yo-jong reverted to presenting a more circumspect appearance. At a Feb. 10 banquet hosted by Minister of Unification Cho Myung-gyon held at Gangneung's Skybay Gyeongpo Hotel, Gangwon Governor Choi Moon-soon asked her how she felt about her visit. She replied simply, "It was my first time in Seoul, but it is not unfamiliar to me." She also had little to say at a luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon at the Seoul Walkerhill Hotel.

Kim and her entourage finished their three-day visit by attending a concert by the Samjiyon Orchestra together with President Moon and the first lady at the Haeoreum Grand Auditorium of the National Theater. Seated next to President Moon, she seemed to be explaining some of the performance to him. Afterwards, she told First Lady Kim Jung-sook, "Always stay healthy, and be sure to come and visit us in Pyongyang with President Moon."

”Many things are similar or the same,” between South and North

Right before the concert, Kim had attended a dinner hosted by Blue House Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok. When he asked her to offer a toast, she said, "I'm not very good with words. Frankly, coming here so suddenly was unexpected. I thought everything would be different and strange, but there are also many things that are similar or the same. I hope we can hasten the day when we are reunited and we will gladly meet again in Pyongyang."

During her three-day visit, Kim Yo-jong met with President Moon four times: first on Feb. 9 at the opening ceremony, then on Feb. 10 at the Blue House luncheon followed be their attendance at the ice hockey match in which the North and South teams played as a joint team, and finally on the 11th at the Samjiyeon Orchestra concert. After a farewell by President Moon, she was seen off by Unification Minister Cho and other officials at Incheon International Airport, where she boarded Kim Jong-un’s private jet, the Chammae-2, to return to North Korea.

By Park Byong-su, senior staff writer and Noh Ji-won, staff reporter

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