NK leader's aunt appears in state media after five-week absence

The aunt of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, one of key guardians for the young Kim, reappeared in public on Sunday, the North's state media reported, after a five-week absence that reinforced speculation she might be seriously ill.

Kim Kyong-hui, the 66-year-old sister of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, attended the 15th anniversary marking the late leader's election as head of the North's ruling Workers' Party earlier in the day, according to the North's Korean Central Television.

The name of Kim Kyong-hui was included in a list of high-ranking military and party officials who attended the anniversary, led by the young leader Kim.

It was the first time North Korea's media mentioned the aunt's appearance at a public meeting since Sept. 1. She was absent at a rare parliamentary meeting on Sept. 25, fueling the speculation over her health.

Together with her husband Jang Song-thaek, she is believed to have played a key role in helping her nephew Kim Jong-un solidify his grip on power after his father died last December.

At the anniversary, Kim Ki-nam, secretary of the party's Central Commission, "called on all the officials and party members and other working people to firmly establish a monolithic leadership system of Kim Jong-un in the party and society and closely rally behind him," the North's Korean Central News Agency reported in a separate dispatch. (Yonhap)