North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's sister has been elevated in the ranks at a rare ruling party congress, further cementing the family's grip on power.
Kim Yo Jong, who was previously a vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, was promoted to the director of one of the departments, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Tuesday.
Ms Kim is expected to be assigned to lead the propaganda department with a focus on overseeing inter-Korean relations or external strategies, according to reports. The 38-year-old has been the most influential woman in the party and one of her brother’s closest lieutenants.
She has often issued strong statements to criticise South Korea and the US on behalf of the North Korean government.
Her elevation comes as thousands of party elites assembled in Pyongyang for the once-in-five years rubber-stamp party congress. The ruling party’s congress is a tool for North Korea to issue propaganda messages to the world and to decide on the next political, economic, and military priorities.
Ms Kim was promoted a day after her brother vowed to strengthen and advance North Korea’s economy over the next five years, state media reported.
Calling the next five years a “full-scale progress phase” in a speech on Monday, the North Korean leader urged a revolution in thought, technology and culture to ensure new projects are effectively managed over time.
Mr Kim, 42, was re-elected as general secretary in a ceremonial but significant step to consolidate his power and set long-term policies and goals for the country. He has held the top post at the party throughout his rule since 2011 and has now ruled longer than many global leaders.
North Korea’s “war deterrence with the nuclear forces as its pivot has been radically improved” under Mr Kim, KCNA said. It also credited Mr Kim for creating a military capable of handling "any threat of aggression" and "any form of war," and hailed his leadership for "reliably guaranteeing" the country's future and "boosting the pride and self-esteem" of North Koreans.
Following the announcement, rows of officials in dark suits erupted in applause in the red-walled assembly hall adorned with gold insignia.
It comes as Mr Kim, under his leadership, has undertaken an aggressive expansion of North Korea’s nuclear prowess and has built closer ties with Russia by taking part in its war against Ukraine, further deepening the standoffs with the US and South Korea.
Analysts say Mr Kim will use it to unveil new military goals, including strengthening conventional forces and integrating them with nuclear capabilities. He is also expected to double down on a push for economic “self-reliance” through mass mobilisation, building on tentative post-pandemic gains driven by revived trade with China and reported arms exports to Russia.
In a sign that the Kim dynasty’s grip on the Hermit Kingdom is set to endure, the leader’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, is believed to have entered an early phase of grooming to take over her father, according to an assessment this month by the National Intelligence Service. North Korea has been ruled by the Kim family since its founding in the 1940s.
In recent months, Kim Ju Ae has repeatedly appeared alongside her father at high-profile events, including missile test launches and key military ceremonies.
Meanwhile, Chinese president Xi Jinping sent a message congratulating Mr Kim on his re-election as general secretary of the ruling party, KCNA confirmed.
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