North Korean leader's mystery woman is not his sister
The elegant mystery woman spotted with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in recent public events is his wife, who is identified as Comrade Ri Sol Ju.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (left) and his wife comrade Ri Sol Ju visit an amusement park, which is nearing completion, in Pyongyang in a released by the North Korea state broadcaster on July 25, 2012.
REUTERS/KCNA
Seoul
North Korea state TV is reporting for the first time that leader Kim Jong-un is married.
As The Christian Science Monitor reported recently, the sudden appearance of an elegant young woman by the North Korean leader's side at public events has prompted a bout of global speculation.
Mr. Kim, much like his father Kim Jong-il, who ruled North Korea for 17 years until his death in December 2011, makes few personal details public, such as his marital status or age. Kim’s father and grandfather were rarely seen in public with their wives, and the younger Kim’s mother was only recently introduced to the public via a state propaganda video.
The obsession with personal information about North Korea’s leaders, therefore, can come off a bit like a gossip magazine calling to readers from the grocery store checkout line:
“Was the slim woman in the sharp black suit his sister, wife or even lover?” asks CNN.
“Koreans on both sides of the divided peninsula have a new mystery to ponder: who is that elegant young woman at his side?” The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
And The Wall Street Journal chimes in with this one: “Is North Korean dictator Kim [Jong-un] married? Or is he hanging out with his sister a lot these days?”
The woman wasn't shown with Kim during the North Korean TV broadcast. But a well-dressed woman has accompanied him at a recent concert and public tours.
The North Korean announcer says Kim toured an amusement park with his wife, "comrade Ri Sol Ju."
The woman wasn't shown with Kim during the North Korean TV broadcast Wednesday, but still photos of the couple were released. And now the world at least knows her identity.
The North Korean announcer says Kim toured an amusement park with his wife, "comrade Ri Sol Ju."