Ri Sol-Ju: Kim Jong-Un’s Wife Makes A Rare Public Appearance

Ri Sol-Ju hasn’t been seen by the public for several months, but the North Korean first lady finally stepped out of the shadows with her husband, Kim Jong-un, for a special sports event at Kim Il-sung Stadium.

According to AFP, Ri Sol-Ju has not been seen since December, 2014, for unknown reasons. However, it was unusual for her to be seen to begin with since first ladies of North Korea were not typically seen at all.

Kim Jong-un was no longer a single man when it was confirmed by Korean state television that he married Ri Sol-Ju in 2012. It is suspected the couple have a child together, but the rumor has not been officially confirmed.

Ri Sol-Ju appeared in pictures beside her husband during the celebration Kim Jong-un’s grandfather’s 103rd birthday. The late Kim Il-Sung is also the founder of North Korea, and he has a two-day national holiday which starts off on the day of his birth, called “Day of the Sun.” According to Newsmax, sports, arts, and other performances are a huge part of the festivities on the holiday.

A photo of Kim Jong-un and Ri Sol-Ju was released to the public by North Korea’s state news agency, and the couple looked as though they were enjoying a men’s football match. Ri Sol-Ju was clapping and smiling. She appeared to be wearing a gold ring.

Ri Sol-Ju’s appearance has been scrutinized in the few times she has made a public appearance as the first lady of North Korea. AFP reported while citizens of North Korea were starving or facing poverty, the first lady of the country was seen with a Christian Dior handbag and wearing stylish and expensive clothing.

Although the government of North Korea usually denies there is much of a problem with the way most of its people must live, the United Nations believes the country violates human rights on a large scale. It is claimed that people are held in prison camps where they face unspeakable torture. North Korea does not admit to such violations, but it has admitted that some people in more remote areas may need better housing or social facilities. It blames outsiders and their international sanctions for its economic problems, according to the BBC.

As far as Kim Jong-un’s wife, not much is known about Ri Sol-Ju other than she appears to be in her twenties, and she is likely the daughter of prominent North Koreans.

[Photo by Korean Central News Agency]