The wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared in public for the first time in more than a year on Wednesday, in a concert that marked one of the biggest festivals in the country.
Ri Sol Ju and her husband were seen in photos posted by state media, sitting next to each other and smiling at the Mansudae Art Theater in the capital of Pyongyang.
The event commemorated the birthday of Kim’s late father and former leader Kim Jong Il.
Although the First Lady of the Hermit Kingdom has often accompanied Kim, 36, to major public events, she has been out of the spotlight since last January, when she attended a holiday event of the year new monthly.
Her absence from public view sparked speculation about her health and rumors that she might be pregnant.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) told lawmakers Tuesday that Ri appeared to have withheld external events to prevent the coronavirus.
Ri, who is believed to be about 30 years old, has spent her time “playing well” with the couple’s three children, the NIS said.
None of the new images of the couple – published by the official Labor Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun – wore masks or maintained social distancing measures.
The newspaper also reported that Kim visited the Kumsusan Sun Palace, which houses the embalmed bodies of her father and grandfather, to lay wreaths for the holidays, called Bright Star Day.
With publishing cables