#Does Kim Jong Un have a wife? What to know about Ri Sol-ju

With rumors swirling around North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s health — including reports that he’s fallen into a coma — focus has turned to members of his family, especially his wife, Ri Sol-ju, whose life is shrouded in secrecy.

The Hermit Kingdom’s first lady recently attracted attention when she was depicted using provocative imagery in an anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaign initiated by defectors in South Korea.

Kim, 36, was reportedly so enraged by the “dirty, insulting” representation of his wife, that he blew up a liaison office with Seoul and threatened to take military action.

Here’s everything we know about Kim Jong Un’s wife:

Ri Sol-ju’s reported origins:

Very little is known about Ri, and experts believe that even her name is almost certainly a pseudonym, according to The Daily Beast.

Her reported year of birth has ranged between 1985 and 1989, making her between 30 and 35.

It is said that her family is from the political elite, with her mother reportedly heading a gynecology unit at a local hospital and her father working as a university professor.

However, the blog North Korea Leadership Watch has identified her as being from a military family, with her dad serving as a commander in the Korean People’s Army’s Air and Anti-Air Forces.

Ri is believed to have been raised in Pyongyang before studying vocal music abroad in China. As a singer, she reportedly performed with the U’nhasu Orchestra.

She’s also a former cheerleader who visited South Korea in 2005 for the Asian Athletics Championships, a Seoul lawmaker has said.

Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol-ju’s wedding:

The pair were reportedly married in 2009, though their nuptials weren’t confirmed by North Korean state media until 2012.

The local reports referred to the dictator as attending the opening of an amusement park with his wife, “Comrade Ri Sol Ju,” following speculation over a mystery woman who had been pictured with him at various events, according to the BBC.

The South Korea’s Times newspaper reported that Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, hastily arranged the marriage after he suffered a stroke in 2008.

Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol-ju’s children:

The couple is believed to have become parents about a year into their marriage, with reports indicating that they had a boy in 2010.

In 2013, NBA legend Dennis Rodman — who has a long-documented bromance with the North Korean despot — dished to The Sun that Ri had recently given birth to a daughter.

He told The Guardian later that year that the girl was named Ju-ae. The ex-hoopster described Kim as a “good dad” who “has a beautiful family.”

South Korean intelligence officials reported that Ri gave birth to a third child in February 2017, though the kid’s gender is unknown.

Why does Ri Sol-ju live so secretively?

North Korea is the world’s most secretive state, and it has historically been common for the wives of its leaders to stick firmly to the shadows.

The spouses of Kim’s grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and of his father — who was said to have at least four wives or consorts — never appeared in public and were rarely, or ever, mentioned in official media.

Ri, however, has occupied a place more similar to the first lady of a Western nation than her predecessors.

She first surfaced at an official event in 2011 — the funeral of her father-in-law, Kim Jong Il.

Since then, she’s made several other public appearances, including at a banquet at the DMZ in April 2018, following her husband’s historic summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Ri reportedly struck up a friendship with South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook after the two bonded over their shared love of music, according to The Sun.

In March 2018, Ri also joined her hubby on a state visit to China, where the couple dined with President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan.

During those visits, Ri became a fashion hit thanks to her outfits and luxury handbags, including by brands like Dior and Chanel.

She was even crowned “respected First Lady” by North Korean state media, a step up from the previously-used “comrade,” indicating she was gaining popularity and a following in her own right, experts told CNN.

There have been extended periods where Ri has vanished from public view, and those have previously been attributed to her pregnancies.

How Kim Jong Un’s health affects Ri Sol-ju’s standing:

It’s unclear what would happen to Ri in the event that Kim were to become incapacitated or die.

The couple appears to have at least one male heir, meaning that he could eventually succeed Kim to continue the dictatorship dynasty, according to Business Insider.

However, the youth of their children could be why Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong is said to have recently been made his “de facto second-in-command” — though those reports have also been disputed.

The family isn’t exactly known to be gracious when it comes to sharing power: Kim is widely believed to have ordered the 2017 assassination of his half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, in Malaysia, as well as the execution of several North Korean officials.