Kim Yo-jong
Who was Kim Yo-jong?
Sister of Kim Jong-un and influential Deputy Department Director of the Workers' Party's Publicity Department, serving as a key diplomatic envoy and trusted advisor to the Supreme Leader.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Kim Yo-jong (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Kim Yo-jong was born on September 26, 1987, in Pyongyang, North Korea, as the youngest child of Kim Jong-il, the country's second leader, and his consort Ko Yong-hui. She is the younger sister of Kim Jong-un, who took over leadership of North Korea after Kim Jong-il died in December 2011. Her early life was largely kept private, in line with the secrecy around the Kim family, though it is known she studied abroad in Switzerland with her brother in the late 1990s and early 2000s, before returning to North Korea to attend Kim Il-sung University and Kim Il-sung Military University in Pyongyang. She is married to Choe Song.
Kim Yo-jong started her official political roles in the early 2010s, gradually taking on duties within the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). She became heavily involved with the party's Publicity and Agitation Department, eventually becoming Deputy Department Director and gaining significant control over state propaganda and North Korea's public messaging. Being close to Kim Jong-un made her one of his most trusted advisors, often seen by his side at public events and state functions.
She was an alternate member of the Politburo of the WPK from 2017 to 2019, during a time of intense nuclear tensions and later diplomatic talks on the Korean Peninsula. Her role grew significantly during this time: she was a key diplomatic envoy at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where she led the North Korean delegation and met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, marking the first visit by a ruling Kim family member to South Korea since the Korean War. She also attended the Singapore summit between Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in June 2018.
After being briefly removed from the Politburo in 2019, Kim Yo-jong returned as an alternate member in 2020. From September 2021 to March 2026, she was a member of North Korea's State Affairs Commission. During this time, she became a more prominent spokesperson for the regime, making strong statements and warnings aimed at South Korea, the United States, and others on issues of national security and foreign policy. Her statements were often viewed by outsiders as key indicators of North Korea's intentions.
At the Ninth Party Congress in Pyongyang, during the first plenary meeting of the 9th Central Committee, Kim Yo-jong was appointed director of the General Affairs Department of the WPK, a major position that reinforced her status within the party. Since March 2026, she has also been an alternate member of the Politburo, reflecting her ongoing importance in North Korean politics. Her career has made her one of the most watched figures in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Before Fame
Kim Yo-jong grew up in one of the most closed-off ruling families globally, with her childhood mostly hidden from the public eye. Like her siblings, she is thought to have attended school in Switzerland during the late 1990s, which gave her a glimpse of the outside world while her father, Kim Jong-il, tightly controlled North Korea. After returning home, she studied at Kim Il-sung University and Kim Il-sung Military University in Pyongyang, schools for the North Korean elite.
Her rise to political importance was driven by family loyalty and the concentration of power around her brother Kim Jong-un after their father died in 2011. As Kim Jong-un worked to strengthen his rule by removing rivals and reshaping the party, Kim Yo-jong became a trusted ally. Her role in the Publicity and Agitation Department gave her control over the state's messaging tools, a strong position from which to gain influence in a system where information is tightly controlled.
Key Achievements
- Led the North Korean delegation to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea, becoming the first member of the Kim ruling family to cross into South Korea since the Korean War
- Appointed director of the General Affairs Department of the Workers' Party of Korea at the Ninth Party Congress, one of the highest formal positions she has held
- Served as alternate member of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea across multiple terms, from 2017 to 2019, 2020 to 2021, and again from March 2026
- Functioned as a principal spokesperson and diplomatic signaling channel for the North Korean government, issuing authoritative statements on relations with South Korea and the United States
- Served as a member of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea from September 2021 to March 2026, placing her at the apex of the country's governing structure
Did You Know?
- 01.During the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Kim Yo-jong presented South Korean President Moon Jae-in with a personal letter from Kim Jong-un, marking an extraordinary moment of direct family-level diplomatic contact.
- 02.She is considered by many analysts to be the second most powerful person in North Korea, with her public statements on security matters frequently treated as official policy positions.
- 03.Kim Yo-jong was removed from the Politburo alternate membership list in 2019, a move that puzzled outside observers, before being reinstated in 2020 with her influence apparently undiminished.
- 04.Her marriage to Choe Song is one of the few confirmed personal details about her private life that has entered the public record, as information about the Kim family's personal affairs is tightly controlled by the state.
- 05.She attended the same Swiss schools in Bern as her brother Kim Jong-un during the late 1990s, both enrolled under assumed identities to conceal their identities as children of the North Korean leader.