The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been given a senior post in the ruling Worker's Party of Korea, confirming long-held rumors about her role in the government.
The Korean Central News Agency on Thursday identified Kim Yo Jong as a vice director in the central committee of the Worker's Party, the sole governing faction in the communist state.
Kim Yo Jong, who is thought to be 26 or 27, has appeared in other state media reports alongside her brother, prompting speculation about her position. But until now she was never given a title.
She is the only other member of the Kim family who is known to have taken a formal leadership position.
Some observers say her role may be similar to that of Kim Kyong Hui, the sister of and close aide to the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong Un, who is believed to be around 31, became the third generation of his family to lead the country following the sudden death of Kim Jong Il in late 2011.
