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Kim Jong-Un’s Wife Has Disappeared And Rumors Are Flying

REUTERS/KCNA

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Ryan Pickrell China/Asia Pacific Reporter
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The wife of North Korea’s dictator has gone missing, sparking numerous rumors.

Kim Jong-un’s wife Ri Sol-ju has not made a public appearance in seven months. Ri last appeared in public on March 28, 2016, when she visited a commercial district and a health facility with her husband, reports the Yonhap News Agency.

Ri accompanied Kim 18 times in 2012, 22 times in 2013, and 15 times in 2014. Last year, the number was a surprisingly low at seven, and this year, she has only made three appearances. She reportedly limited her outings in 2013 after it came out that she was affiliated with the Unhasu Orchestra, several members of which were supposedly executed for making a scandalous pop video.

“Ri showed up at public events every two months last year but has not appeared in public for over seven months this year. That’s quite extraordinary,” one North Korea watcher told Yonhap reporters.

Some observers suspect that Ri may be preparing to give birth to another Kim baby. Others, however, are concerned for her safety.

One theory is that she has fallen out of favor with her husband. Another is that her movements are being checked by Kim’s ruthless sister, Kim Yo-jong.

If a marital rift is underway, it could end very badly for the first lady. After a family fallout, Kim had his uncle executed. He reportedly fed his uncle to a pack of hungry dogs; however, the exact details of the execution were never confirmed. Kim is also said to have killed his aunt. It was reported in August that the young dictator had executed a senior official with an anti-aircraft gun for dozing off during a meeting.

If Kim’s younger sister, who is rumored to be even more deadly than her brother, is involved, things could turn out the same way. Kim Yo-jong has been called the real power behind the Kim regime. She took over for her brother in 2014 while he was recovering from a medical issue that many believed was gout or some other problem associated with the supreme leader’s overzealous consumption of cheese.

Little is known for certain about Kim’s wife Ri, but her disappearance is nonetheless noticeable.

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