North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s wife Ri Sol Ju appears in public after 5 months

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's wife, Ri Sol Ju, appeared in state media for the first time in over five months on Wednesday, as the ruling family has kept a low profile throughout the coronavirus outbreak. Kim and Ri watched a Lunar New Year art performance at Pyongyang's Mansudae Art Theatre, according to the official KCNA news agency. On the country's foundation anniversary, she was last seen in public on September 9, when she accompanied her husband to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which holds the embalmed remains of Kim's late grandparents and father.

The KCNA news agency stated when Kim Jong Un entered the theatrical auditorium with his wife, Ri Sol Ju, amid the playing of the welcome music, the audience erupted with stormy cheers of 'Hurrah'. After the event, the pair returned to the stage to shake hands and pose for photos with the performers. Ri attracted worldwide attention because she frequently joined Kim on social, professional, and even military activities, in sharp contrast to his father, Kim Jong Il, who was seldom seen in public with any of his wives. She had been absent from official media for more than a year until being spotted at a performance in February, fueling speculation about her health and probable pregnancy.

According to South Korea's National Intelligence Service, she presumably avoided outside activities to avoid COVID-19 infections but was "playing nicely with their kids." The intelligence service believes Kim and Ri have three children, although nothing is known about them in the public eye. North Korea has not acknowledged any COVID-19 breakouts, but it has closed its borders and implemented stringent measures, including travel restrictions.

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• COVID
• Kim Jong Un
• North Korea
• Ri Sol Ju
• Lunar New Year