Kim Jong-un's wife, Ri Sol-ju has a mysterious life

From her past to her sudden mysterious disappearances not much is known about the life of Ri Sol-ju, the first lady of North Korea

Left to right: Ri Sol-ju with her husband, Kim Jong-un (leader of North Korea), Moon Jae-in (President of South Korea), and his wife Kim Jong-sook (April 27 2018)
© Universal History Archive
Left to right: Ri Sol-ju with her husband, Kim Jong-un (leader of North Korea), Moon Jae-in (President of South Korea), and his wife Kim Jong-sook (April 27 2018)

Ri Sol-ju is the wife of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and the first lady of the nation as well. Contrary to her husband, very little is known about her past and her personal life. There are some vague details, however with few concrete sources. She was the daughter of an obstetrician and a professor and allegedly had a fairly normal childhood.

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Her first appearance

Ri Sol-ju left everyone baffled when she first made an appearance with Kim Jong-un in 2012. There wasn’t any explanation as to who she was at that time, it was later revealed that she was the wife of Kim Jong-un.

As per The Wall Street Journal, they are suspected to be married in 2009, however not much is known about how they met. Unlike, the past wives of North Korean leaders who were never seen in the public eye, Ri Sol-ju is the first North Korean first lady to appear publically alongside her husband.

Mysterious Disappearances

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Kim Jung-sook, South Korea's first lady, right, and Ri Sol Ju, North Korea's first lady Bloomberg

Their marriage is suspected to have been arranged by Kim Jong-un’s father before he passed away. Although she accompanies her husband fairly often, she is known for disappearing from the public eye for months at a time. There are no explanations issued for her mysterious disappearances, although many speculate that this might be either due to health issues or because of unrevealed pregnancies.

Kim Jong-un’s predecessors, ie, his father and grandfather never revealed the identity of their wives or children. They were suspected to have more than one wife and multiple children with each. The secrecy around Kim Jong-un’s children is still ironclad. He is suspected to have 3 children out of which the oldest one is a son.

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