State media reported that Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has joined the country’s main government body. She was promoted and is now the only woman on the State Affairs Committee, which includes key policy makers.
Yo-jong was already one of the leading political faces in the country, and the main advisor to her brother. This appointment is her highest official position to date. However, she was removed from the party list in January for unclear reasons. It is not known why this happened.
Last year, South Korean intelligence chose her name as second only to her brother. According to the same intelligence agency, she was responsible for maintaining relations with South Korea and the United States last year.
New faces on the committee
Kim Jong-un has recently ignored his commission. He has reinstated or retired nine members, including 82-year-old Pak Bong-ju, who has been the architect of economic policy for the past decade. Kim said in early January that he had failed.
Ri Byung-chul, the highest-ranking military commander and the man behind the weapons program, was also killed. He is succeeded by General Pak Jong Chun, who is responsible for developing new weapons. This week, he oversaw the test of North Korea’s first hypersonic missile.
