Kim Yo Jong Elevated in Party Reshuffle as Kim Jong Un Outlines Five-Year Economic Plan

By Staff, Agencies

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has promoted his sister, Kim Yo Jong, within the ruling party hierarchy as he unveiled an economic agenda for the next five years at a major party congress, state media reported.

According to the Korean Central News Agency [KCNA], the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea elevated Kim Yo Jong from deputy department director to full department director. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that she is likely to head the party’s propaganda department, a key body responsible for shaping domestic messaging as well as overseeing inter-Korean affairs and external strategy.

The promotion came during the Workers’ Party congress in Pyongyang, a five-year gathering that sets policy direction across diplomacy, defense, and economic planning. Delegates also re-elected Kim Jong Un as the party’s secretary-general, reinforcing his authority over the country’s sole governing party and extending his 15-year leadership.

Kim Yo Jong, widely regarded as one of her brother’s closest confidantes, has long played a prominent role in the regime. Born in the late 1980s, she is one of the children of former leader Kim Jong Il and Ko Yong Hui. Educated in Switzerland alongside her brother, she rose quickly within party ranks after Kim Jong Un assumed power in 2011.

She gained international attention in 2018 when she visited South Korea during the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, a moment that marked a brief thaw in inter-Korean relations. Since then, Pyongyang has frequently used her to issue official statements addressing Seoul and Washington.

At the congress, Kim Jong Un pledged to strengthen and advance North Korea’s economy over the next five years, describing the period ahead as a “full-scale progress phase.” He called for sweeping improvements in ideology, technology, and culture to ensure new development initiatives are effectively managed.

KCNA also reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message marking Kim’s re-election as party chief.

Attention at the gathering has also centered on Kim’s teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, who South Korea’s intelligence agency has described as a likely successor. In recent months, she has appeared alongside her father at key events, including missile launches and major military ceremonies, fueling speculation about her future role.