Kim Jong Un praises nuclear program, promotes sister to center of power
North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim
Jong-un has given his sister more power by promoting her to the nation's
top decision-making body.
Kim Yo-jong, the youngest daughter of
late leader Kim Jong-il, will be replacing her aunt as a member of the
Workers Party's Politburo.
Ms Kim, 30, was referred to as a senior party official three years ago.
The Kim family has ruled North Korea since the country was established following the Second World War in 1948.
Ms
Kim, who has frequently appeared alongside her brother in public and is
thought to have been responsible for his public image, was already
influential as vice-director of the propaganda and agitation department.
She is blacklisted by the US over alleged links to human rights abuses in North Korea.
Her
promotion was announced by Mr Kim at a party meeting on Saturday as
part of a reshuffle involving dozens of other top officials.
The
BBC's Danny Savage says the move to elevate Ms Kim will be seen as
further evidence of the Kim family's iron grip on North Korea.
When
Ms Kim was given a key post at the country's rare ruling party congress
last year, it was widely expected that she would take up an important
role in the country's core leadership.
Among other announcements made on Saturday was the decision to
promote Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho - who last month referred to US
President Donald Trump as "President Evil" at a UN meeting - to a full
vote-carrying member of the Politburo.
Mr Ri has recently accused
Mr Trump of declaring war on North Korea and said that if the president
continues with his "dangerous" rhetoric the US will become an "inevitable" target for missile strikes.
The
promotions come as a defiant Mr Kim once again made it clear that North
Korea's nuclear weapons programme would continue despite sanctions and
threats.
His comments were made hours before Mr Trump tweeted
that "only one thing will work" in dealing with Pyongyang following
years of dialogue that the US president said had failed to deliver
results.
BBC
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