Women in North Korean Politics
Women Leaders in North Korea
Below is a list of influential women leaders in North Korea's past and present. The leaders featured range from variety of roles from influencing government policy to pop culture.
Choe Son-Hui
Position of Power: Minister of Foreign Affairs (June 2022- Present)
Education: Reportedly studied in North Korea, China, Austria, and Malta
Family Relations: Stepdaughter to previous Premier of North Korea Birthday: August 10, 1964
Important Details: Choe has become a very influential individual in North Korea's international affairs. She is most known for her positions as the nation's first female Minister of Foreign Affairs, but her career includes being the Section Chief of the Minister of Foreign Affairs North American department, deputy director of the Institute for American Studies, a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, and working as an English interpreter. Choe was also present at the 2018 and 2019 America-North Korea Summits. For the 2019 summit, she created a controversy when she called then Vice-President Mike Pence a "political dummy" which caused President Trump to temporarily cancel the meeting. Currently, she is considered to be one of the most powerful women in North Korea and one of the most influential people in North Korean foreign affairs.
Kim Kyong-Hui
Position of Power: Elected member of the Working Party Political Bureau; Korean People's Army General (2010-Present)
Education: Kim Il Sung University; Moscow State University
Family Relations: Daughter of Kim Il-Sung
Age: May 30, 1946
Important Details: Kim Kyong-Hui's political career encompasses many aspects of the North Korean government including working in the nation's Women's Union, Light Industry Department, Working Party Political Bureau, and Supreme People's Assembly. In 2010, she became the first female general in the Korean People's Army. She is considered to be a member of the inner circle of political elites due to her familial relations with top political leaders. Her political career has also involved some bloodshed as her husband was executed in 2013 for engaging in treasonist actions.
Kim Song-Hye
Position of Power: Head of Secretary Bureau of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland
Education: Kim Il-Sung University
Family Relations: N/A
Birthday: July 17, 1946
Important Details: Kim Song Hye is a key figure in reunification negotiations between North and South Korea. She has participated in Inter-Korea summits starting from the 2000s and into the present day. Uniquely, she is one of the first women to be dispatched from the North Korean government to South Korea in order to conduct diplomatic relations. She is also known for her more "friendly" methods in approaching negotiations between North Korea and South Korea. Notably, she hosted Lee Hee-Ho, the former South Korean first lady, in 2011 and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in 2012 when they visited North Korea.
Ri Sol-Ju
Position of Power: First Lady of North Korea
Education: Kim Il-Sung University
Family Relations: Wife to Kim Jong-Un
Age: Born between 1985-1989
Important Details: Ri Sol-Ju reportedly married Kim Jong-Un in 2009. This marriage placed her in a political role, where she has influence as a key public figure internally and a diplomatic role in foreign affairs. Prior to her marriage, she participated in North Korea's Unhasu Orchestra. She also helped establish the Moranbong Band in 2012. Although she has not had many public appearances, she most recently gained international attention when she accompanied her husband to China in 2018 and in 2022 when she accompanied her husband and daughter to a missile testing in Pyongyang.
Kim Yo-Jong
Position of Power: Member of the State Affairs Commission (2021); Deputy Department Director of the Publicity and Information Department of the Workers' Party of Korea (2014)
Family Relations: Sister to Kim Jong-Un
Birthday: September 26, 1987
Important Details: Kim Yo-Jong is one of the most internationally known female figures in North Korean politics. In 2020, when her brother, Kim Jong-Un, reportedly fell into a coma, many theorized that she would become the next Supreme Leader of North Korea, should her brother pass. While many solely focus on her political potential, she already has a great influence on current government operations. She currently serves as one of the two women on the State Affairs Commission, which is the nation's major political decision-making body. She has also served in the Propaganda and Agitation Department and worked toward expanding the propaganda surrounding her family. Kim Yo-Jong was present at the 2018 and 2019 United States-North Korea summits and the 2018 South Korean Winter Olympics.
Kim Song-Ae
Position of Power: First Lady of North Korea 1963-1974; Chairwomen of the Korean Democratic Women's League 1971-1976
Education: Pyongyang University of Education for Women
Family Relations: Second Wife of Kim Il-Sung
Age: December 1924- September 2014
Important Details: Prior to her marriage in 1952, Kim Song-Ae did not have much political power. She mostly worked alongside Kim Jung-Suk, Kim Il-Sung's first wife, until her death in 1949. After her marriage to Kim Il-Sung in the 1960s, Kim Sung-Ae held great influence on female focused political issues while positioned within the Korean Democratic Women's League. In the 1970s, she advocated for her son, Kim Pyong-Il, to become the next Supreme Leader. Her efforts were futile and her stepson, Kim Jong-Il was chosen instead. Once he took power, Kim Song-Ae was displaced from some of her positions of power, and her role in the government was limited to one that was mostly symbolic.
Ho Jong-Suk
Position of Power: Minister of Culture (1948-1957); Minister of Justice (1957-1959); Cheif Justice of the People's Supreme Court (1959-1960)
Education: Kwansei School; Paehwa School for Girls
Family Relations: N/A
Birthday: 1902/1908 (Debated) – June 5, 1991
Important Details: Ho Jong-Suk was a powerful female leader during the North's socialist based strive for independence from Japanese occupation. She participated in early national movements geared toward promoting socialism and the Communist Party of Korea. Many consider her to be a key figure in feminism within the Korean Peninsula as she advocated for the sexual liberation of women, a controversial topic that defied conservative, Confucian ideas. Her extensive education and the early support of Kim Il-Sung through revolutionary efforts allowed her to position herself in key foundational institutions.
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Park Chong-Ae
Position of Power: Vice Chair of Worker's Party of Korea Central Committee (1953-1961); Chairperson of the Korean Democratic Women's League (1940s-1965)
Education: Moscow State University
Family Relations: N/A
Age: Born in 1907; Death date is disputed
Important Details: Park Chong-Ae was an active North Korean politician who was influential during Korea's liberation efforts and the early stages of the Communist Party of Korea. Prior to the Korean War, Park was educated at Moscow State University and worked for the Soviet Union. As Korean liberation efforts grew, Park became a key supporter of Kim Il-Sung and in 1946 she was placed on the 1st Central Committee of the Workers' Party of North Korea and become the Chairwomen of the Korean Democratic Women's league until 1965. Outside of Korean politics, she was also involved in the Women's International Democratic Federation.
Hyon Song-Wol
Position of Power: Leader of the Moranbong Band; Member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (2017-Present)
Education: Unknown
Family Relations: N/A
Birthday: 1977
Important Details: Hyon plays important role in North Korean pop culture and the nation's attempts to create an international presence. She is currently the leader of the Moranbong Band which is an all-female pop group. She gained additional international attention in 2018 for her appearances at the South Korea Winter Olympics. She also holds a position on the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea where she is involved in the organization and utilization of the Moranbong Band.
Ri Chun-Hee
Position of Power: News Reporter for Korean Central Television
Education: Pyongyang University of Theatre and Film
Family Relations: N/A
Age: July 8, 1943
Important Details: Ri Chun-Hee is easily one of the most recognizable faces in North Korean media. Starting her career in 1971 for Korean Central Television, she worked as the main news broadcaster until her retirement in 2012. Her broadcasts were a common occurrence in Korean media and she still broadcasts from time to time to cover important topics. She has been deemed "The Pink Lady" by intentional media for her tendency to wear her iconic pink hanbok while on screen. The broadcasts that happen to make their way outside of North Korean borders provide updates on the nation to international outlets. She also has a close relationship with the Kim regime as she was gifted a fully furnished apartment in Pyongyang by the current dictator Kim Jong-Un in 2022.
Kim Ju-Ae
In November of 2022, the world met the next generation of the Kim dynasty. While observing an intercontinental ballistic missile test at Pyongyang International Airport, Kim Jong-Un revealed his daughter, Kim Ju-Ae, to the public for the first time. Believed to be around 10 years old, this young girl has the potential to become the first female leader of North Korea once her father passes away. While her interactions with the public will most likely continue to be very limited and restricted, observing her potential positioning and power within North Korean politics will allow those residing outside of North Korea to further understand the progression of feminism and female empowerment found within the North Korean government.
