North Korean first lady Ri Sol Ju makes first appearance in nearly 5 months

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Ri Sol Ju, the wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, attended a musical performance celebrating the Lunar New Year in her first public appearance since September, state-run media said Wednesday.

The couple viewed the event at the Mansudae Art Theater in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang on Tuesday, Korean Central News Agency reported.

"When the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un appeared at the auditorium of the theater with his wife, Ri Sol Ju, amid the playing of the welcome music, the audience raised stormy cheers of 'Hurrah!'" the KCNA report said.

Ri had last been seen in September, when she accompanied Kim on a visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to mark the 73rd anniversary of the country's founding. The bodies of Kim's father, former leader Kim Jong Il, and grandfather and national founder, Kim Il Sung, lie in state at the enormous monument.

The North Korean first lady had previously maintained a higher public profile, making regular appearances with Kim and joining him on diplomatic trips, including summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in 2018.

However, over the past two years, sightings of Ri have grown few and far between. Last February, she was seen with Kim in public for the first time in more than a year amid rising speculation about her health.

South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers at the time that her absence had been due to childbirth, as well as precautions over the COVID-19 pandemic. Kim and Ri are believed to have three children, according to the agency, but little is known about them.

Tuesday's performance featured songs that "praise the great Party and the great country and other colorful numbers full of national flavor," the KCNA reported.

Also in attendance were several senior officials, according to the report, including key leaders of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, Choe Ryong Hae, Jo Yong Won, Kim Tok Hun and Pak Jong Chon.