NK leader's wife makes first public appearance in 50 days

Ri Sol-ju, the wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, attended a concert with her husband this week, the country's state media said Tuesday, the first time she has appeared in public in more than 50 days.

Ri and Kim attended a performance by the Moranbong Band on Monday, which marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Kim Il Sung Military University, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Ri had not appeared in public since Sept. 8, leading to speculation she could be pregnant or the communist nation's military leaders disapproved of her active public role.

After being first introduced by the North Korean media as the first lady in late July, the 23-year-old woman had often been spotted accompanying her husband on inspection trips across the country till early September.

"Our supreme leader and the head of the state, Kim Jong-un appeared in the auditorium with his wife and comrade Ri Sol-ju. A windstorm of hooray instantly burst out," the KCNA noted.

Ri's media return came one day after the KCNA reported Kim Jong-un's visit to the prestigious university on Monday.

It was also Kim's first reported public appearance since he was last seen on North Korean media on Oct. 14, attending an establishment anniversary of other colleges.

The couple also watched a national sports competition with Kim highlighting the need to increase support to promote physical training.

The widespread speculation that Ri may be pregnant gained further ground after the North's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper carried photographs of the first lady attending the performance on its Internet Website.

Wearing a beige round-neck, knee-length coat, Ri appears to have put on weight, particularly around her stomach, in the image. Her face also appears fuller than in her frequent media appearances in July.

"It seems that Ri Sol-ju has a swollen face and a protruding belly," a government official said, requesting anonymity. "She was wearing a coat that does not show her body line, but in my opinion she is likely to be pregnant."

Korea's intelligent agency has previously said the Kim-Ri couple is presumed to have a child, although the gender and age of the child is not known. (Yonhap)