DPRK leader's sister may attend event in Seoul, organizer says

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has offered to send leader Kim Jong-un's increasingly influential sister to a private cultural festival in Seoul next year, the organizer of the event in the Republic of Korea said on Thursday.

If Kim Yo-jong makes the trip, it will be the first visit to the ROK by an immediate member of Kim Jong-un's family.

However, a senior official in the ROK's Unification Ministry said that it was unconvinced the proposal was genuine.

Kim Yo-jong's name was on the list of authorized attendees Pyongyang provided ahead of a joint food and culture festival to be held in the ROK capital in March, businessman Dongbang Youngman said.

"It's been confirmed that the Kim Yo-jong named on the list refers to the leader's sister", Dongbang said, adding that he had submitted the list to the Unification Ministry along with a formal letter of intent from the DPRK to participate in the event. Any civilian trip from either side of the border requires the ministry's approval.

More evidence needed

A senior ministry official said Dongbang has been asked to provide more documentation to support Pyongyang's participation in the festival.

"The format of the documents provided so far is unusual," the official said.

"We are rather skeptical about the authenticity of these documents, and we need more concrete evidence before we decide whether to proceed with this project," he added.

Kim Yo-jong, believed to be 26, has been in the news recently after Pyongyang revealed for the first time that she holds the title of a senior party official.

DPRK watchers have speculated that Kim Yo-jong, who has regularly accompanied her brother on trips around the country, is being groomed to play the same leadership supporting role as her powerful aunt, Kim Kyong-hui.

Kim Kyong-hui, 68, was a close aide to her brother and late leader Kim Jong-il for decades, assuming senior positions in the party and becoming a four-star general in 2010.

Kim Kyong-hui's late husband, Jang Song-thaek, who was purged and executed a year ago, visited the ROK in 2002, but no direct Kim family member has done so.