Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, has been promoted in a rare party congress of the reclusive nation, as reported by state media on Tuesday (February 24, 2026).
Previously the deputy department director, she has now become a full department director, said Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
But who is Ms Jong, and why does she have so much power in the functioning of North Korea? Let’s take a look.
Early life
Kim Yo Jong was born in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, with her birth year reported as either 1987 (South Korean intelligence) or 1989 (U.S. Treasury Department). She is the youngest child of former leader Kim Jong Il and Ko Yong Hui.
