North Korea's Kim Jong Un crowned as party general secretary

Sister Kim Yo Jong not in Politburo, likely to protect her from 'villain role'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang in this photo supplied by the official Central News Agency on Jan. 11. © Reuters

KIM JAEWON, Nikkei staff writer

January 11, 2021 09:12 JST

Updated on January 11, 2021 12:31 JST

SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was crowned general secretary of the Workers' Party, tightening his grip on the ruling party 10 days before the inauguration of Joe Biden as U.S. president, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Monday.

KCNA said the party's congress elected Kim as general secretary on Sunday, changing his official title from chairman. Kim became the country's supreme leader in 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, and received the title of party chairman in 2016.