Kim Jong Un's Mystery Woman Sparks International Guessing Game
The new leader's companion may be his new wife—or his sister.
| Posted Tuesday, July 10, 2012, at 10:28 AM
Photo by KNS/AFP/Getty Images.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has a new lady friend, and no one seems to know who she is.
The mystery woman appeared next to the newly minted leader at a concert on Saturday and again on Sunday at a ceremony honoring Kim Il Sung. The appearances prompted widespread speculation about whether she is his friend, girlfriend, wife, or even sister.
She was prominently featured in official photos distributed by the reclusive government, but a statement released by the North Korean Central News Agency made no mention of her.
It's unusual for a North Korean leader to attend public events with a female companion, according to CNN. Kim's grandfather's and father's wives were not public figures, but observers say that Kim has been trying to craft a more approachable image than that of his predecessors.
"He travels much more than his father and even than his grandfather. He likes to hug everybody, physically hug," Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert, told CNN. "In this regard it's probably that he decided that it might be a good idea to hint that he does have a wife."
No one outside of North Korea seems to know the exact age of the leader or if he's married. The BBC reports that the woman in question appears to be in her 20s, which would make her about the same age as Kim's sister Kim Yeo Jung.
