Kim Jong Un's Sister Receives Strategic Party Position Following Congress

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has received a promotion within the structure of the Workers’ Party of Korea. The promotion is described as a rare occurrence during a party congress throughout the party’s rule.

According to AFP on Tuesday (24/2/2026), the Workers’ Party Central Committee appointed Kim Yo Jong — previously a deputy department director — as a full department director, according to Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Thousands of party elites have flooded the capital Pyongyang for the ruling Workers’ Party’s summit, held once every five years — a gathering that steers the nation’s efforts on everything from diplomacy to war planning.

The congress offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of North Korea’s secretive politics and is widely viewed as a forum for Kim to demonstrate his grip on power.

Kim Yo Jong has long been known as one of her brother’s right-hand figures. She is also one of the most influential women in the regime.

Kim Yo Jong’s Profile

Yo Jong was born in the late 1980s, according to the South Korean government. She is one of three children born to her father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, and his known third partner, former dancer Ko Yong Hui.

She was educated in Switzerland alongside her brother and rose through the ranks rapidly after her brother inherited power following their father’s death in 2011. In 2018, she visited South Korea for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics during a period of inter-Korean reconciliation.

Pyongyang also frequently uses her name to issue statements outlining its positions or criticising South Korea and the United States.