North Korea’s state-run news media identified Ri Sol-Ju as dictator Kim Jong-un’s spouse on Wednesday.
The pair may have wed in 2009, and might have had a child the next year, according to the New York Times.
Ri Sol-Ju has appeared alongside Kim Jong-un at several recent state functions as of late, causing a flurry of speculation about the mysterious woman’s identity.
The notoriously tight-lipped North Korean media’s revelation is seen as an attempt to broaden Kim Jong-un’s appeal among women and emphasize his maturity, North Korea analyst Cheong Seong-chang told the Times.
While details about the first lady have been slow to emerge, North Korean television footage shows her singing alongside the Unhasu Orchestra at a 2011 New Year’s celebration.