For the first time in more than a year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s wife, Ri Sol Ju, appeared in state media on Wednesday. Sol Ju joined her husband at a concert for the event marking the birthday of Kim’s late father and former leader Kim Jong Il, Reuters reported.
also read
- Daring North Korean soldier crosses border with South Korea; gets caught by military forces
- Hwasong-20: Why North Korea’s new ICBM that can strike anywhere in US could be a challenge for air defence systems?
- Is Kim Ju Ae being groomed to succeed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un? Speculations arise after Beijing appearance
- North Korea accuses South Korea of ‘deliberate provocation’ for firing warning shots at troops crossing border
Sol Ju has often accompanied Jong Un to major public events, but, has remained out of the limelight since she had last made a public appearance at the Lunar New Year holiday in January 2020. Sol Ju, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, refrained from outdoor activities due to the coronavirus pandemic but has been spending time with the couple’s children. The NIS believes that Su Jol and Jong Un have three children. North Korea’s leader has been very private and secretive about his personal life.
Kim Jong Un had disappeared from the public radar between April and May 2020, sparking rumours that the 36-year-old leader might be dead. North Korea has insisted that they haven’t had any cases of COVID-19. But, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service maintains that there could have been cases as the country, that had active trade dealings with China before the border was shut early last year. The pandemic first broke out in the city of Wuhan in December 2019.