Ri Sol-ju facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Respected First Lady Ri Sol-ju
리설주
Ri in 2018
First Lady of North Korea
Incumbent
Assumed role 15 April 2018
Supreme Leader	Kim Jong Un
Preceded by	Kim Song-ae
Personal details
Born	c. 1985–1989 (age 35–40) Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province, North Korea
Spouse	Kim Jong Un ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	2 unconfirmed, 1 confirmed: Kim Ju-ae
Alma mater	Kim Il Sung University
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl	리설주
Hancha	李雪主
Revised Romanization	Ri Seolju
McCune–Reischauer	Ri Sŏlju

Ri Sol-ju (Chosŏn'gŭl: 리설주; born around 1985–1989) is the wife of Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea. This makes her the current First Lady of North Korea.

Not much official information is known about Ri Sol-ju from North Korean sources. However, news from other countries has shared more details about her life. She often appears in public with her husband. In April 2018, North Korean state media announced that her title changed from "Comrade" to "Respected First Lady." This was a big honor and the first time this title had been used since 1974. Around this time, she also started taking on a role in diplomacy, which means she began to represent North Korea in meetings with other countries.

About Ri Sol-ju's Life

North Korean leaders and their families usually keep their lives very private. Because of this, there isn't much official information about Ri Sol-ju. Most of what we know comes from foreign news reports.

Early Life and Background

We don't know many certain facts about Ri Sol-ju's early life. Some experts even think her name might be a different name she uses for public appearances. She was likely born between 1985 and 1989. Reports say she was born in Chongjin, a city in North Korea.

Ri's family is believed to be part of North Korea's important political families. Her mother is said to be a head doctor in a women's health department, and her father is a professor. She reportedly went to Geumsung 2 Middle School in Pyongyang. She also studied vocal music in China. Some reports suggest she is related to Ri Pyong-chol, a former general and close advisor to Kim Jong Un.

Some news outlets have said that Ri was a singer in the Unhasu Orchestra. This group performed in many places outside North Korea. It's also been reported that North Korean officials tried to remove her past as a singer. They did this by taking away popular unofficial recordings of her performances. In 2012, she was reportedly studying for a science degree at Kim Il Sung University.

Ri is also said to have visited South Korea in 2005. She was part of a North Korean cheerleading team for an athletics event. She was one of 90 cheerleaders who cheered "We are one!" During that trip, she reportedly told a South Korean teacher that she hoped for Korea to be reunited soon.

Marriage and Children

According to some reports, Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, quickly arranged his son's marriage after he had a stroke in 2008. Ri Sol-ju and Kim Jong Un reportedly got married in 2009. The public first learned that she was Kim Jong Un's wife in July 2012.

Ri may have had a child in 2010, and sources reported it was a boy. In December 2012, it was noticed that Ri was pregnant. However, North Korean officials did not confirm this. In March 2013, former basketball player Dennis Rodman visited Kim Jong Un in North Korea. Rodman later said that the couple had a daughter named Kim Ju-ae. He also said that Kim Jong Un had a "beautiful family" and was a "good dad."

South Korean intelligence officials reported that Ri gave birth to a third child in February 2017. The gender of this child is not known. In November 2022, North Korean state media showed photos of Kim Jong Un with a young daughter at a missile launch site. Many observers believe this child was Kim Ju-ae.

Role as First Lady

In 2012, Ri Sol-ju started appearing often next to Kim Jong Un in public. This led to many people wondering who she was. On July 25, 2012, North Korean state media announced that she was Kim's wife, calling her "his wife, Comrade Ri Sol-ju." This announcement was a big change from Kim's father, who never introduced his wives to the public.

At a concert in July 2012, Ri was seen wearing a stylish black suit. This was considered unusual for women in North Korea at the time. Her public marriage was seen by experts as a sign of changes happening in North Korea.

In September 2012, Kenji Fujimoto, who used to be Kim Jong Il's personal sushi chef, met Ri during a trip to North Korea. He described her as "charming" and said her voice was "so soft." Ri gave Fujimoto a Christian Dior handbag as a gift.

From 2012 to 2014, Ri appeared in North Korean media from time to time, going to events with her husband. After that, she was seen less often. She had long periods out of the public eye in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

In 2018, Ri took on a more important role in diplomacy. In March 2018, she visited China with her husband. There, they met China's leader Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan. In April 2018, before a meeting between North and South Korea, Ri's title was changed to "Respected First Lady." This was the first time this title had been used in North Korea since 1974. The previous person to hold this title was Kim Song-ae, the second wife of Kim Il Sung.

Ri attended the meeting between North and South Korea. She was the first wife of a North Korean leader to do so. She also met the First Lady of South Korea, Kim Jung-sook, for the first time. The two first ladies seemed to get along well during their meetings that year. In May, Ri also met with US diplomats and helped to reduce tensions. In June 2019, she helped host the visit of China's leader Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan.

See also

• Unhasu Orchestra

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