Ri Sol-ju

Ri Sol-ju (; born  28 September 1989) is a former North Korean singer, cheerleader, and is the current First Lady of North Korea as the wife of North Korean Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un.  

Little is known about Ri from North Korean official sources, but foreign media sources have speculated more about her background. Ri has made several public appearances accompanying her husband Kim, while spending and disappearing from the public eye for long period of time. In April 2018, North Korean state media had elevated her title from "Comrade" Ri Sol-ju to Respected "First Lady" - considered it a significant honor since taking on a diplomatic role and for the first time the title had been used since 1974. Ever since assuming the role and duties of first lady, she is well known for being well fashionable and is now seen and considered a fashion icon.

Biography and Early Life
Not much information is known about Ri's origins; some analysts have said her name is almost certainly a "pseudonym" Reportedly it says she was born between 1985 through 1989. Ri's family is reportedly a political elite; her mother is said to be the head of a gynecology ward and her father is a professor. Ri is said to had graduated from Geumsung 2 Middle School in Pyongyang and studied abroad in China majoring vocals in music. She is also said to be related to Ri Pyong-chol a former anti-air force general of the Korean People's Army and close advisor to Kim Jong-un some political commentators such as South Korean officials have identified Ri as a singer of the Unhasu Orchestra, a musical group based in Pyongyang, North Korea that had made several overseas appearances. Reportedly, North Korean officials are trying to erase her past as a singer by confiscating popular bootleg CDs of her performances. Ri is reportedly a graduate student from Kim Il-sung University, pursing a PhD in science. 

Ri reported visited South Korea in 2005, as a member of a North Korean cheerleading team during the Asian Athletic Championships. She was said to be among 90 cheerleaders to chant "We are one! It is claimed Ri had told a South Korean teacher while on the trip: We want to take classes from the South's teachers after being reunited as possible.

Marriage to Kim Jong-un and Children
The BBC quoting an analyst from The Korea Times of South Korea that Kim's father, Kim Jong-il had hastily arranged and ordered Ri Sol-ju to get married to his son, Kim Jong-un after suffering a stroke in 2008. They both got married in 2009, although the marriage date is unknown. She possibly gave birth to a boy in 2010. In December 2012, it was said that Ri was visibly pregnant, although North Korean officials did not comment. In 2013, American basketball player, Dennis Rodman had visited North Korea to meet Kim and told The Guardian in September 2013 that she had gave birth to a girl named "Kim Ju-ae" and had stated Kim had a "beautiful family" and he was a "good dad". South Korean intelligence officials claim she had gave birth to a third child in 2017, although the gender is unknown.

First Lady of North Korea
In 2012, Ri has made several public appearances accompanying her husband, causing speculation of who she is and who she might be. South Korean intelligence officials had wrongly identified her as "Hyong Song-wol" a former North Korean singer for the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble, a popular North Korean musical group based in Pyongyang, North Korea. However, On July 25, 2012, North Korean officials had stated that was actually Kim's wife, saying she was his wife "Comrade Ri Sol-ju". In July 2012, while attending an elite concert, Ri was reportedly stylishly dressed in a trim black suit in a knockoff Chanel type tradition, which was considered very unusual for North Korean women. In September 2012, Kenji Fujimoto, a former personal sushi chef of former leader Kim Jong-il, said he had met Ri on a recent trip to North Korea. He described her as "just so charming" I cannot describe her voice it's so soft. As a gift Ri had reportedly gave him a Christian Dior handbag. From 2012 through 2014, Ri appeared occasionally in the North Korean media, accompanying her husband to events such as, state dinners and foreign summits. Therefore she was often never or rarely seen, She had spent long periods of time out the public eye for three years. In 2018, Ri took on a diplomatic role and in March 2018 , she had visited China with her husband meeting Xi Jinping, the President of China and his wife Peng Liyuan, the First Lady of China. Kim and Ri reportedly made back to back summits and meetings with China five times, and in April 2018, ahead of the 2018 inter-Korean summit, her title was lifted from Comrade to Respected First Lady -, considered it a great honor since the title has not been used since 1974. Ri had attended and she had also met the First Lady of South Korea, Kim Jung-sook for the first time. The two first ladies were observed as being very close and it said they developed a friendship and  she met Xi Jinping and his wife Peng again in June 2019 also she had met U.S. diplomats to ease international tensions.

References

1980s births
Living people
Singers
First Ladies of North Korea
Kim Jong-un