--- description: The youngest sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, title: Kim Jong Un's Sister Will Attend the Winter Olympics image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt854b40f8474a2415/6988fae4db2987087d25eaac/rtx4ro30.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2018 Pyeongchang Olympics](/tag/2018-pyeongchang-olympics/) ## 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Kim Jong Un's Sister Is Attending the Winter Olympics in South Korea by [Helen Regan](/author/helen-regan/) ## Helen Regan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 7, 2018 8:10 AM CUT  Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in Pyongyang, North Korea April 13, 2017. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in Pyongyang, North Korea April 13, 2017.Damir Sagolj—Reuters by [Helen Regan](/author/helen-regan/) ## Helen Regan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 7, 2018 8:10 AM CUT The youngest sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea’s unification ministry said Wednesday. Kim Yo Jong, vice-director [of the regime](http://time.com/4974109/kim-yo-jong-north-korea-politburo/ "undefined")‘s propaganda and agitation department, will join a high-level delegation in South Korea, Yonhap news agency [reported.](http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2018/02/06/0707000000AEN20180206013500315.html "undefined") Kim Yo Jon will [accompany](http://time.com/5132862/north-korea-olympics-kim-yong-nam/ "undefined") Kim Yong Nam, North Korea’s ceremonial head of state and the highest-ranking North Korean official to visit the South since the end of the Korean war in 1953, [according](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2018-northkorea/hopes-for-talks-grow-with-north-koreas-ceremonial-leader-to-visit-south-korea-for-olympics-idUSKBN1FO0LB "undefined") to Reuters. She is the youngest daughter of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and is believed to be one of Kim Jong Un’s [closest](http://time.com/4974109/kim-yo-jong-north-korea-politburo/ "undefined") aides and confidantes. Her influence was cemented last year when she was named a member of the Workers Party’s Politburo, the country’s highest political assembly. Kim’s presence will likely boost hopes of inter-Korea talks during the Olympic Games, [something](http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2018/02/05/0401000000AEN20180205005000315.html "undefined") South Korea has been pushing for. Seoul is keen to mend relations with its neighbor after North Korea’s escalating rhetoric, and missile and nuclear weapons tests. The two Koreas will march under [one](http://time.com/5105667/north-and-south-koreas-olympic-teams-will-march-under-the-same-flag-at-opening-ceremony/ "undefined") flag during the opening ceremony, and will field their first unified Olympic team in 11 years in the women’s ice hockey. North Korea is [also sending](http://time.com/5127986/north-south-korea-olympics-truce/ "undefined") a 140-member strong orchestra, a cheering squad and 22 athletes. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5136957/2018-olympics-kim-jong-un-sister/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5136957/2018-olympics-kim-jong-un-sister/"},"headline":"Kim Jong Un's Sister Is Attending the Winter Olympics in South Korea","datePublished":"2018-02-07T08:10:22.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T19:10:52.228Z","description":"Kim's presence will likely boost hopes that inter-Korea talks will take place during the Games","url":"https://time.com/5136957/2018-olympics-kim-jong-un-sister/","keywords":["2018 Pyeongchang Olympics","Winter Olympics","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt854b40f8474a2415/6988fae4db2987087d25eaac/rtx4ro30.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Helen Regan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/helen-regan/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt854b40f8474a2415/6988fae4db2987087d25eaac/rtx4ro30.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"FILE PHOTO: Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, attends an opening ceremony of a newly constructed residential complex in Ryomyong street in Pyongyang","caption":"FILE PHOTO: Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, attends an opening ceremony of a newly constructed residential complex in Ryomyong street in Pyongyang","creditText":"Damir Sagolj—Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2018-pyeongchang-olympics/","name":"2018 Pyeongchang Olympics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5136957/2018-olympics-kim-jong-un-sister/","name":"Kim Jong Un's Sister Is Attending the Winter Olympics in South Korea"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"A Brief History of Sport and Politics on the Korean Peninsula","description":"Here is a look at how sport and politics have intersected — at times with tragic and even deadly consequences — on the Korean Peninsula.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/hdP2USpo/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2018-01-09T07:07:50.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/hdP2USpo.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5136957/2018-olympics-kim-jong-un-sister/","duration":"PT2M26S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5136957/2018-olympics-kim-jong-un-sister/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```