North Korea promotes Kim Jong Un’s sister as he vows to boost economy

The ruling Workers’ Party Central Committee names Kim Yo Jong as the full department director at the key party congress.Published On 24 Feb 2026The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been promoted in the ruling party structure at the party congress, during which he set the country’s economic agenda for the next five years, according to state media.The ruling Workers’ Party Central Committee named the North Korean leader’s sister, Kim Yo Jong – who was previously a deputy department director – as a full department director, Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Tuesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3North Korea’s Kim Jong Un sets stage for daughter as his successor: Seoullist 2 of 3North Korea opens new housing area for families of soldiers killed overseaslist 3 of 3Photos: Kim Jong Un unveils homes for families of fallen soldiersend of listAccording to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, Kim Yo Jong will likely be assigned to lead the propaganda department, whose role includes overseeing inter-Korean relations or external strategies.Thousands of party elites have packed the capital, Pyongyang, for the once-in-five-years Workers’ Party summit, a gathering that directs state efforts on everything from diplomacy to war planning.On Monday, members re-elected Kim Jong Un as the Workers’ Party’s secretary-general, extending his 15-year rule of the country’s sole governing party and solidifying his grip on power.Kim Yo Jong has long been among her brother’s closest lieutenants and one of the most influential women in the party.Born in the late 1980s, according to the South Korean government, she is one of three children to Kim’s father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, and his third known partner, former dancer Ko Yong Hui.Kim Yo Jong was educated in Switzerland alongside her brother and rose rapidly up the ranks once he inherited power after their father’s death in 2011.