Kim Yo Jong returned to public view with a senior promotion amid reports that Kim Jong Un is preparing his daughter as successor.
Kim Yo Jong made her first public appearance since reports said her teenage niece was being groomed as North Korea’s next leader. She attended the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party, where she was promoted to full department director, expected to oversee propaganda and external relations. Analysts say the move strengthens her political influence.
The promotion is seen as a strategic balancing act as Kim Jong Un reportedly prepares his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, for succession. A North Korean defector said, “Kim Yo Jong is one of the very few people that Kim Jong Un can trust and rely on.” The congress also showcased North Korea’s military ambitions.
Reports from South Korean intelligence suggest Ju Ae’s increasing public appearances signal succession preparation, though her presence at the congress was not confirmed.
Kim Jong Un has historically maintained power through tight family control, with past succession conflicts leading to extreme measures. The Kim family’s internal politics carry historically lethal stakes: Kim Jong Un previously had his own uncle and mentor, Jang Song Thaek, arrested on counter-revolutionary charges and executed by firing squad in 2013.