North leader's sister Kim Yo-jong promoted to party department head at congress

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Published: 24 Feb. 2026, 09:37

Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was named department head at the ruling Worker's Party, the Korean Central News Agency reported on Feb. 24. [YONHAP]

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has been promoted to department head at the ruling Workers' Party of Korea during the party congress, state media reported Tuesday.

The Korean Central News Agency carried a report on the first plenary meeting of the ruling party’s ninth central committee, naming Kim Yo-jong as one of 17 department directors of the party’s new central committee.

She was previously vice department director at the committee.

Kim Yo-jong was also reinstated as an alternate member of the Worker's Party's Politburo, following her demotion in 2021. She previously served as an alternate member of North Korea's highest executive decision-making body from 2017 to 2019 and again from 2020 to 2021.

State media did not mention which department she was made the head of.

The plenary meeting was held on Monday as part of the party congress, which kicked off last Thursday to review policy outcomes from the previous 2021 congress and set new goals for the next five years.

BY KIM JU-YEON, YONHAP [[email protected]]