Seoul, Feb 28 (NationPress) Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, has been officially appointed as the director of the general affairs department of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), as reported by state media on Saturday.

This promotion was confirmed during a plenary meeting of the party held on Monday, coinciding with the culmination of the ninth party congress that took place over the past week. However, her specific title was not revealed at that time.

For the first time, the state media referred to her as the “director of the General Affairs Department of the WPK Central Committee” in its Saturday announcement, highlighting her role among key party officials and military leaders who received a new model of sniper rifle from the North Korean leader as “special gifts.”

The leader met with prominent party members and military commanders at the WPK headquarters the day before, presenting each of them with the “new-generation” sniper rifles, as reported by Yonhap, citing the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Previously serving as the vice director of the party's propaganda and agitation department, Kim Yo-jong often directed critical messages towards South Korea and the United States, particularly making pointed remarks towards Seoul amid heightened tensions between the two Koreas.

Her new role is anticipated to enhance her influence within the party, as she will now oversee internal operations and administrative matters of the WPK.

The KCNA also reported that Jo Yong-won and Kim Jae-ryong, members of the WPK political bureau's praesidium, were among those who received rifles, along with members of the Central Military Commission and senior military personnel.

In his remarks, the North's leader expressed, “These presents represent my appraisal of your extraordinary devotion to the country and the people and an expression of my absolute trust in you,” referring to the sniper rifle as a “wonderful weapon.”

Additionally, the North Korean leader personally distributed weapon certificates to each recipient and participated in a shooting session with the senior officials at a designated range, according to the KCNA.

In a notable development, state media images featured Kim's daughter, Ju-ae, attending the ceremony, where she participated in both the rifle presentation and shooting practice.

In an unusual move, the media released a solo photograph of Ju-ae aiming at a target and shooting a rifle.

Earlier this month, South Korea's intelligence agency suggested that Ju-ae may be positioned to follow in her father's footsteps as the future state leader. The party congress garnered speculation about whether she would receive an official title during the event, but she was only seen publicly at a military parade on Wednesday night, which marked the first party congress in five years.