Kim Yo-jong: How Kim Jong-un's blushing sister's presence at summit suggests she has cemented role as North Korea's second most powerful figure

Picture of her shaking hands with South Korean leader became iconic image of Winter Olympics

Kim Jong-un's sister has emerged as a prominent figure in the first summit between North and South Korea in more than a decade.

Kim Yo-jong, believed to be 30 years old, has become one of the most visible figures in her brother's regime since he took power.

She became the first member of the ruling dynasty to visit the South when she attended the Winter Olympics in February.

Ms Kim was at her brother's side as he walked across the line dividing the two Koreas.

She handed him a pen to sign a guestbook at the Peace House in the truce village of Panmunjom and joined him for the first round of talks with South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, where she took notes.

Later in the meeting, she was said to have blushed when Mr Moon described her as a celebrity after he appearance in Pyeongchang for the Winter Olympics.

Kim Yong-chol, North Korea's former intelligence chief and key figure when it comes to his country's dealings with the south, also attended the meeting.

Ms Kim hit the headlines when she attended the games.

A picture of her shaking hands with Mr Moon at the opening ceremony in a seemingly impromptu moment as a joint North-South team marched into the Olympic Stadium, became one of its defining moments.

The South Korean leader appeared elated at the gesture and reciprocated warmly

South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in, greets Kim Yo-Jong, the sister of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-il ahead of the inter-Korean summit (Korea Summit Press Pool/Getty Images)

The image of the two beaming with pride quickly became iconic, not least because it also showed the US vice president, Mike Pence, sitting stone-faced nearby.

Believed to be in charge of maintaining her brother's public image and the cult of personality which surrounds him, it is thought that Ms Kim is a close confidante of her brother.

She was appointed to the powerful Politburo - the most powerful body in the isolated regime's ruling party - last October.

Kim Yo-jong handed her brother a pen so he could sign the guest book at the Peace House building on the southern side of the truce village of Punmunjom (KOREA SUMMIT PRESS POOL/AFP/Getty Images)

Ms Kim and her brother's wife, Ri Sol-ju, accompanied the leader on a surprise visit to China for a summit with the country's president, Xi Jinping, last month.

It appears likely she will join Mr Kim for his next summit, with Donald Trump, in May or June.

In her youth, she and Mr Kim lived in Switzerland in relative isolation for several years as they attended school together.