Ri Sol-ju

By Kim Tae-gyu



North Korea's first lady Ri Sol-ju's first public appearance in more than two months quelled rumors that something happened to her with regard to the recently-executed Jang Song-thaek, the former No. 2 man of the communist state.

Yet, she is generating fresh speculation as she wore unprecedentedly heavy make-up while paying her respects to former ruler Kim Jong-il, father of her husband Kim Jong-un, on the second anniversary of his death.

A year before, she wore black traditional Korean clothes, called hanbok. But this year she put on a black two-piece suit with a skirt.

In particular, her thick make-up drew attention as there were rumors that she had been assaulted by the young North Korean dictator.

According to the rumors she wore the make-up to hide bruises. They said Ri's disappearance had to do with Jang, who introduced her to Kim Jong-un.

Some pundits rebuffed such an explanation because Ri looked fine and appeared to be close with her husband. She even walked arm in arm with Kim in a video televised by the North's official Korean Central News Agency.

However, observers in Seoul still struggle to understand why she did not appear in public for so long.

There is speculation that Ri became pregnant again as the couple needs a son to succeed Kim Jong-un as a fourth-generation dictator in North Korea, which was founded by Kim's grandfather Kim Il-sung. The couple already has a daughter

Ri was not seen in public for two months last autumn when she was pregnant.

In the current video clip, Ri shows no conspicuous signs of pregnancy, but she may be in the early months.

"The problem is that our information on North Korea is limited and that is especially the case on the ruling family members of the reclusive country," said a professor in Seoul who asked not to be named.

"We need to keep tabs on Pyongyang to learn what exactly is happening there."