Trending 
North Korea’s Workers’ Party has elevated Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of leader Kim Jong Un, to a top leadership position, further cementing her status as one of the most powerful figures in the isolated nation. The promotion was announced by state media on Tuesday, and it signals her increasing influence within the party.
Kim Yo Jong, once considered her brother’s closest confidante, has now been appointed as a Department Director in the apex central committee, though the specific department she will lead remains unclear. Prior to this, she had held a senior role in the party’s propaganda department.
Kim Yo Jong has become a prominent face of North Korean diplomacy in recent years, particularly in her brother’s nuclear negotiations and international dealings.
“Kim Yo Jong is one of the very few people Kim Jong Un can trust and rely on,” Ahn Chan-il, a North Korean defector and researcher, said. “She also served as a working-level official for Kim’s summits with Trump in Singapore and Hanoi. She is experienced and seasoned.”
Her prominence began to rise in 2018, when she was sent to Seoul as North Korea’s envoy for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. This marked the first time a member of the ruling Kim dynasty had visited the South since the Korean War.
Kim Yo Jong has been known for her outspoken criticism of Washington and Seoul, even once calling former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol a “faithful dog” of the United States. However, her tone has softened somewhat since the election of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who has sought to improve relations with the North.
The promotion of Kim Yo Jong to a ministerial rank is significant, as it shows the increasing concentration of power in her hands. Despite her prominent role, very little is known about her personal life, and North Korea has remained tight-lipped about her marital status and children.
Kim Yo Jong’s rise comes amid heightened attention to North Korea’s internal politics. The ongoing Workers’ Party congress is only the ninth of its kind since the Kim dynasty began ruling North Korea. This event is closely watched both for insights into Kim Jong Un’s consolidating power and for any indications that his teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, may be groomed as a successor.
Kim Ju Ae’s growing visibility, paired with her father’s increasing efforts to secure his family’s legacy, has sparked speculation about her role in the future of the Kim dynasty.
Despite her high-profile role, the North Korean leader has largely resisted diplomatic overtures from US President Donald Trump, who expressed a willingness to meet with Kim Jong Un during his tour of Asia.
The decision to elevate Kim Yo Jong further strengthens the family’s grip on power and signals that she may play an even more central role in shaping North Korea’s future.
