Fri Jan 03 08:40:02 UTC 2025: ## Kim Yo Jong Spotted with Children in Rare North Korean State Media Footage
**Seoul, South Korea** – South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) is analyzing state media footage appearing to show Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with two young children, potentially her own. The footage, from a New Year’s art performance in Pyongyang, shows Kim Yo Jong holding a young boy’s hand as they walk together with a young girl.
While North Korea has never publicly acknowledged Kim Yo Jong’s family life, the NIS stated it is investigating whether the children in the footage are hers. The agency noted that the children’s ages align with previous, unconfirmed intelligence suggesting Kim Yo Jong had children. The NIS has previously speculated about her pregnancy on two separate occasions.
The appearance of Kim Yo Jong with children at the event, which typically includes family members, is unusual, according to South Korea’s Unification Ministry. The footage also featured Kim Jong Un with his daughter, Ju Ae.
Some analysts, such as NK News, suggest the release of these images may be a propaganda effort to humanize regime officials, aligning with a broader trend in 2022 of showing elite officials with their families at public events.
Kim Yo Jong, born in 1988, is a powerful figure in the North Korean regime, having risen through the ranks since her brother’s ascension to power in 2011. She received her education in Switzerland alongside Kim Jong Un. This latest development adds another layer to the already enigmatic persona of one of the most influential women in North Korea.
First Piper 