The 38-year-old Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister and right-hand woman of Kim Jong Un, made her first public appearance at the Workers’ Party congress after a considerable time, since she reportedly “stepped down” from succession to the country’s leadership in favor of her teenage niece. During the Congress, Kim Jong Un gave his sister, whom he ultimately rejected as successor, a promotion to sweeten the deal. The 38-year-old Yo Jong was appointed director of the party’s propaganda department, while she had previously served as deputy director.
The state propaganda department includes oversight of inter-Korean relations and foreign strategies, according to South Korean media outlets. Yo Jong holds a significant political and military position in North Korea and has long been one of her brother’s closest associates since Kim Jong Un assumed power after their father’s death in 2011.
Kim Jong Un’s sister makes first public appearance since her niece was named successor instead of her https://t.co/SuMmaUt44A pic.twitter.com/6KGdCSLOgw
— New York Post (@nypost) February 26, 2026
North Korea: What Kim Yo Jong’s promotion signals
The promotion comes approximately two weeks after South Korea’s intelligence service published a report stating that Kim Jong Un is preparing to officially appoint his 13-year-old daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as his successor.
Ahn Chan-il, a North Korean defector and academic, noted that Yo Jong’s promotion was aimed at allowing Kim to maintain control over key areas of his government while keeping his sister “happy.”
Family betrayal is nothing new in the Kim dynasty in North Korea.
The current leader, Kim Jong Un, eliminated his uncle and mentor, Jang Song Thaek, when he assumed power.
Kim ordered Jang’s arrest on charges of committing “anti-party, anti-revolutionary, factional acts.” The uncle was found guilty and executed by firing squad in 2013.
