NK leader's wife makes 1st public appearance in 1.5 years, with Gucci handbag

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's wife, Ri Sol-ju, was seen in photos Thursday accompanying him to a recent completion ceremony for the eastern coastal Kalma beach resort, marking her first public appearance in about 1 1/2 years. Photos published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed Ri standing or sitting next to Kim and their daughter, known as Ju-ae, during Tuesday's ceremony, wearing a white shirt, baggy black slacks and carrying what appears to be a Gucci handbag. Since her last media appearance at a New Year's arts performance on Jan. 1, 2024, Ri had remained absent from North Korean state media, with Ju-ae having since taken her place next to Kim during key public events. Since Kim took power in late 2011, Ri had frequently been seen in North Korean media accompanying him to various events, a notable contrast to the wives of the two previous North Korean leaders, who mostly remained behind the scenes. Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, suggested that Ri may have limited her public appearances to shift the spotlight to Ju-ae, a likWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times