N Korea boosts status of Kim Jong Un's wife Ri to that of 'First Lady'

Kim Jong Un's wife Ri, has been given the status of First Lady, placing her at par with her South Korean counterpart Kim Jung-sook and US counterpart Melania Trump, ahead of the important summits with the two nations.

Image Courtesy: AFP

New Delhi: Ri Sol Ju, the young stylish wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has been given a boosted status of ‘First Lady’. Ri has definitely caught the attention of media worldwide during her presence with Kim Jong Un during his China trip and also during the South Korean performance in Pyongyang. Now ahead of two major summits in a row, with South Korea and United States, the often quiet and smiling wife of Kim Jong Un has been given the status of First Lady, placing her at par with her South Korean counterpart Kim Jung-sook and US counterpart Melania Trump. Ri who has often been noticed with Kim Jong, made her first solo appearance last weekend at a ballet performance by a visiting Chinese troupe. The media of the Northern part of the peninsula reported the event referring to Ri as the “respected First Lady”. As per the reports, the title has been used for the first time in forty years and the adjective “respected” is usually reserved for the country’s leaders. She was accompanied by Kim’s senior officials and his younger sister Yo Jong reportedly. Her outfit as always grabbed attention. She was seen in a dusty pink two-piece skirt suit. Ri’s love for fashion is well-known in the country. As per the media reports, the analysts say that promoting Ri’s status is N. Korea’s strategy to portray it as a ‘normal’ state, ahead of the two major summits with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump. The 29-year-old ‘First Lady’ (now), reportedly has three children with Kim and one of them is a daughter.