North Korea: 4 facts about Kim Jong-un’s rarely seen wife Ri Sol-Ju
- Unconfirmed reports call her a singer who belonged to a North Korean pop group but others say she did her studies in science
- She is rarely seen in public fuelling rumours of her having trouble in her marriage life
- She rarely makes any political or diplomatic statements and her whole life is shrouded in secrecy
FollowBack in December 2016 reports emerged of Kim Jong-un wife Ri Sol Ju giving her first public appearance after nearly eight months of disappearance from the scene. Unlike any other president’s wife, there is a little known about Kim Jong-un’s wife Ri Sol-Ju or Lee Seol-Ju. There have been man y speculative stories about the life and origins of the wife of the most powerful man in North Korea.
Birth
While some reports say she comes from a Communist elite family, others say she belonged to an average one. She is reported to have been educated in singing and has even given public performances. Along with this there were rumours that she belonged to a North Korea pop group.
Marriage
She was first pictured accompanying her husband to an event in summer 2012, and in July North Korean state media confirmed that they were married. It is thought that the wedding took place in 2009 as Kim prepared to succeed his father Kim Jong-il.
Motherhood
There are a lot of doubts regarding the parentage of Kim Jong-un’s first born considering the fact that when his first born was introduced to the public, his wife Ri Sol –Ju had given a public performance in 2010 as a member of the Unhasu Orchestra, the South Korean Chosun Ilbo newspaper has been quoted as saying.
In 2012 she was spotted with a baby bump at an official function and in 2013 basketball star and dear friend of Kim Jong un, Dennis Rodman revealed that the first lady of North Korea had given birth to a baby girl in 2013. So they may be trying for a son because daughters cannot be heirs in North Korea.
Public appearances
The marriage itself was looked upon with a lot of suspicion because while she first made a public appearance with the dictator, there was no wedding being talked about. Then on one public outing she was seen wearing a wedding ring and North Korean generals referring to her as his wife, Comrade Ri Sol –Ju. From then on little has been known about her.
Her sense of dressing is impeccable and sharp and she has mostly been seen carrying a trim figure, short hair and attired in business suits or sharp clothing. Her style statements have not gone ignored with the media noticing her penchant for brands and even her accessories being the best of the lot.
Mostly she is seen applauding her husband or sharing a dais with him but rarely has she been seen alone making a diplomatic statement or attending to political affairs like the first ladies of other countries.
Her disappearance last year fuelled rumours that she may have been executed after a fight with her husband or that she may have been exiled following a tiff with Kim Jong-un’s sister. The North Korean leader is known for his temper and his style of executing anyone who does not earn his favour.
