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First Lady of North Korea

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First Lady of North Korea
Incumbent
Ri Sol Ju
since 15 April 2018
StyleRespected First Lady
ResidenceRyongsong Residence, Pyongyang, North Korea
Inaugural holderKim Song Ae
Formation17 December 1963

The First Lady of North Korea is the wife of the supreme leader of North Korea and holds the official title of Respected First Lady (Korean: 존경하는 녀사). The inaugural holder of the title was Kim Song Ae, the second wife of the first supreme leader Kim Il Sung. The title was not used during the tenure of the second supreme leader Kim Jong Il, who had two estranged marriages and three domestic partners at different times. The title was revived by the third supreme leader Kim Jong Un, with his wife Ri Sol Ju being the second and incumbent holder.

History

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As the wife of the first supreme leader Kim Il Sung, Kim Song Ae assumed the duties of first lady in 1963, eleven years after their marriage.[1][2][3][4] The position was left vacant under the leadership of the second supreme leader Kim Jong Il, who married twice and had three domestic partnerships at different times.[citation needed]

The third supreme leader Kim Jong Un reestablished the position in April 2018 when Ri Sol Ju, whom he married in 2009,[5][6][7] was elevated from the title of "comrade" to "Respected First Lady". The promotion occurred ahead of the April 2018 inter-Korean summit, where Ri and South Korean First Lady Kim Jung-sook were in attendance.[8][9]

List

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No. Portrait Name
(birth – death) 		Tenure Age at tenure start Husband
(year married)
1 Kim Song Ae
(1924–2014) 		17 December 1963 – 15 August 1974[citation needed] 38 years, 353 days Kim Il Sung
(m. 1952)
2 Portrait painting of Ri Sol Ju Ri Sol Ju
(b. 1989) 		15 April 2018 – present[citation needed] 28 years, 158 days Kim Jong Un
(m. 2009)

References

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  1. ^ Eckert, Carter J.; Lee, Ki-baik; Lew, Young Ick; Robinson, Michael; Wagner, Edward W. (1990). Korea, Old and New: A History. Seoul: Korea Institute, Harvard University. p. 377. ISBN 978-0-9627713-0-9. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  2. ^ "North Korea leader Kim Jong-un married to Ri Sol-ju". BBC News. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  3. ^ Sang-hun Choe (25 July 2012). "North Korean Leader Marries". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  4. ^ "Keeping up with the Kims: North Korea's elusive first family". BBC News. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  5. ^ Joohee Cho (26 July 2012). "North Korea's First Lady Was Cheerleader, Ditches Drab Outfits". ABC News. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  6. ^ Thayer, Nate (26 July 2012). "North Korea IDs Mystery Woman as Kim Jong-Un's Wife—But Who Is She, Really?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  7. ^ O'Connor, Tom (27 September 2017). "Meet Ri Sol Ju, wife of Kim Jong Un and first lady of North Korea". Newsweek. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  8. ^ "Kim Jong-un elevates wife to position of North Korea's first lady". The Guardian. Seoul. Agence France-Presse. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  9. ^ "First ladies of two Koreas meet for first time". 27 April 2018.

Further reading

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