Kim Jong Un’s wife has been missing from the public eye for more than a year | NK News
NK News Logo
December 23, 2024

NK News is hiring

News

Kim Jong Un’s wife has been missing from the public eye for more than a year

Experts say that Ri Sol Ju was last seen in state media on Jan. 26, 2020

The wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been missing from the public eye for more than a year now, leading some analysts to wonder what happened to the country’s breakout first lady.

Ri Sol Ju, who is thought to be 32 years old, was last seen in state media sitting next to Kim at Pyongyang’s Samjiyon Theater for a Lunar New Year’s Day performance that took place on Jan. 25, 2020. Before she disappeared from state media, Ri was the first wife of a North Korean leader to repeatedly appear next to her husband in public — and experts now say that her missing status suggests that Kim no longer cares to look like a “normal world leader.”

Try unlimited access
Only $1 for four weeks

  • Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis
  • Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period
  • The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop
  • Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
  • Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting
Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.
Subscribe now

All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.