Closest aide to N. Korean leader absent from public view for 2 months

SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) — Jo Yong-won, a North Korean party secretary considered one of the closest aides to leader Kim Jong-un, has not appeared in public for nearly two months, prompting speculation about a possible change in his status.

Jo, who also serves as director of the organization and guidance department of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, was last seen in North Korean media on Feb. 28 while attending groundbreaking ceremonies of regional industrial factories, and has not appeared in any media reports since.

Having often been seen next to Kim, Jo has been widely considered one of his closest aides, and his prolonged absence from public view “requires special attention,” an official at South Korea’s unification ministry told reporters Tuesday on condition of anonymity.

Additionally, Ri Il-hwan, another high-profile party secretary, has also remained out of the public eye since his last appearance on Jan. 2, when he was reported to have attended an official photo session with workers and national contributors.

The names of both Jo and Ri were absent from the list of top North Korean officials reported by state media as having visited the mausoleum of national founder Kim Il-sung on the anniversary of his birth on April 15.

The unification ministry official said the government is “keeping tabs” on relevant developments, keeping in mind the possibility of changes in the two officials’ social status.

The official recalled that, in the past, other key North Korean officials similarly disappeared from public view, mostly due to retirement from old age or illness, correctional “revolutionary education” or purges.

In early 2025, Kim emphasized strengthening work ethics and discipline, with North Korean media reporting that he reprimanded irregularities involving regional officials, calling them a “mega crime” during an enlarged meeting of the party’s secretariat.