Revelations About Kim Jong-un's Mother, Ko Yong-hui, to Be Unveiled
New insights into the life of Ko Yong-hui (고용희), the mother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (김정은), are set to be revealed in a forthcoming book titled 'Ko Yong-hui: The Zainichi Korean Who Became Kim Jong-un's Mother.' This book, authored by North Korea expert Go Mi-yoji (고미 요지), will include previously unseen photographs and testimonies, including those from her half-brother. Ko Yong-hui, a dancer and Zainichi Korean, is often regarded as a sensitive aspect of Kim Jong-un's family history.
Scheduled for release at the end of June by Bungeishunjū (文藝春秋), the book will feature intimate details about Ko's life, including her childhood anecdotes and her relationship with her father, Ko Kyung-taek (고경택). The photographs being published are the first of their kind in South Korean media, showcasing Ko during her final days in Paris, where she succumbed to breast cancer in 2004 at the age of 51.
The book also discusses the implications of Ko's Japanese heritage on Kim Jong-un's legitimacy as a leader, suggesting that this connection could play a significant role in future diplomatic relations between Japan and North Korea. Go Mi-yoji previously published a book detailing his interviews with Kim Jong-un's half-brother, Kim Jong-nam (김정남), who was assassinated in 2017.
In the newly released photographs, Ko is seen wearing a thick white fur hat, indicating that they were taken in late winter or early spring of 2004. Reports suggest that she had been undergoing chemotherapy for several months prior to her death on May 24, 2004. Go Mi-yoji analyzes her decision to opt for drug treatment over surgery, linking it to the political climate in North Korea and her precarious status as a Zainichi Korean.
The book also sheds light on Ko's family dynamics, revealing complex relationships and the challenges faced by her family in Japan. It recounts how Ko's father, Ko Kyung-taek, left his family in Japan to move to North Korea, a decision that was met with resistance from his Japanese family.
Additionally, the book includes photographs of Ko with her children, Kim Jong-chul (김정철) and Kim Yo-jong (김여정), taken during their travels abroad in the 1990s, further illustrating her privileged position within the Kim family. These revelations are expected to provide a deeper understanding of the personal and political intricacies surrounding Kim Jong-un's lineage and the legacy of his mother, Ko Yong-hui.
