SEOUL – Kim Jong Un’s wife made her first public appearance in over a year, when she attended a concert that celebrated one of North Korea’s major holidays.
Ri Sol Ju, who is believed to be in her 30s, has been absent from state media since January 25, 2020, when she was photographed at a theater performance on Lunar New Year’s Day. Ms. Ri’s public absence fueled speculation that she might be pregnant, sick, caring for a sick or purged relative.
South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers this week that Ri’s low profile may be due to concerns about Covid-19.
But on Tuesday’s show, North Korea’s first lady was shown smiling and without a mask, sitting next to Kim in a crowded theater in Pyongyang. She attended a music and dance performance in honor of the birthday of Kim Jong Il, the late father of the current leader, during the country’s holiday “Bright Star Day”.
Ms. Ri, first mentioned as Kim Jong Un’s wife in 2012, initially appeared frequently in state media, a movement that Pyongyang observers said aimed at humanizing the renewed-faced dictator. In 2018, she traveled to Beijing when her husband met Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and later hosted other state visits to Pyongyang by foreign leaders such as South Korean President Moon Jae-in.