통일부 "김여정 위상변화 평가 조심스러워... 자리-서열 일치 증거 없어"<br /><br />A recent photo showing the North Korean leader's sister, Kim Yo-jong, sitting close to her brother has raised speculation that she has jumped to the upper echelons of the regime.<br />But Seoul's unification ministry says there could be other reasons for the seating arrangement.<br />Oh Jung-hee reports.<br />The South Korean government is not yet concluding that Kim Yo-jong has risen suddenly to a top spot in the North Korean state.<br />On Monday, a memorial was held at Pyeongyang Gymnasium to mark the 25th anniversary of the death of North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung, who was Kim Jong-un's grandfather.<br />Here, another of the founder's grandchildren, Kim Yo-jong, was four seats to the left of her brother, sitting in the very front row.<br />She was seated among ten of the regime's most powerful people, including senior officials in the ruling Workers' Party, Pak Pong-ju, Ri Man-gon and Ri Su-yong.<br />This was seen by some as a sign that Kim Yo-jong is now North Korea's ninth most powerful herself.<br />"She was seated among the Vice Chairmen of the party's central committee as well as its politicians, so it's possible that Kim Yo-jong's status has been raised from a candidate of the politburo to an actual member."<br />But, Seoul's unification ministry said Tuesday that it's too early to say for sure.<br />An anonymous ministry official told reporters... that there's no evidence from the past that North Korean officials' seating arrangements really match their status.<br />He added... that protocol changes depending on context,... and Kim Yo-jong's seat might have been determined through some internal discussions.<br />So, Kim Yo-jong might have been in that seat because she's Kim Il-sung's granddaughter.<br />The view of the unification ministry is that Kim is still the first vice director of the Workers' Party's Propaganda and Agitation Department.<br />Still, it's understood that Kim Yo-jong does wield more power than she used to.<br />Late last month, Lee Hye-hoon, the head of the Intelligence Committee at South Korea's National Assembly told reporters... that the national intelligence agency sees Kim Yo-jong as having higher status now.<br />And her previous role arranging events has passed to the former pop star Hyon Song-wol.<br />Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.<br />
