Asia-pacific
North Korea unveils Kim Jong-un's wife
Ri Sol-ju, reportedly a singer who has visited South Korea, was shown smiling with her husband at a theme park.
Last Modified: 26 Jul 2012 21:59

In much of the world, the role of the first lady is so public and accepted that is has become mundane. Not so in North Korea, the so-called "Hermit Kingdom", where the apperance of the supreme leader's wife came as a surprise on Wednesday.

Ri Sol-ju has been appearing with her husband Kim Jong-un in recent weeks, and after an amusement park visit, state media off-handedly confirmed on Wednesday that she was the 20-something Kim's wife. South Korean media reporter that Ri was rumoured to have been a musician who once visited Pyongyang's wary southern neighbour.

Kim's father, former leader Kim Jong-il, who died in December, was famously private. The younger Kim appears to have ushered in a new era.

Caroline Malone reports.

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Source:
Al Jazeera
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