The wife of reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Ri Sol Ju, has made her first public appearance in over a year, as she attended a concert at the Mansudae Art Theater celebrating the birthday of the country's late leader Kim Jong-il, state media reported Wednesday.
"As the General Secretary came to the auditorium of the theater together with his wife Ri amid the welcome music, all the participants burst into thunderous cheers of "Hurrah!," Bloomberg reported, citing the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Ri is "well and staying with her children," ending an unusual absence that raised speculations over her health or a potential pregnancy, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said.
She was last spotted in January 2020 when she attended a Lunar New Year's Day concert at the Samjiyon Theater in Pyongyang with her husband, Yonhap reported.
According to sources, Ri's appearance at the concert may reflect the country's apparent show of confidence in its COVID-19 prevention measures.
The NIS had reportedly told lawmakers on Tuesday that Ri was avoiding the public because of coronavirus concerns and may have been spending time with her children.
As North Korea's first lady, Ri could often be seen in the company of Kim in most of his recent public engagements. In 2019, Ri was seen riding white horses with Kim up Mount Paektu, considered North Korea's most sacred mountain.
Ri's first mention on the state-run news agency KCNA was in 2012, around six months after Kim was sworn in as leader. The first lady's name has appeared on KCNA about 200 times since then, NK News agency reported.
