North Korea’s first lady returns with a touch of Gucci glamour

Ri Sol-ju’s appearance with husband Kim Jong-un and daughter Ju-ae is a ‘choreographed move’ to show family stability, experts say

North Korea’s secretive ruling family put on a rare display of domestic harmony this week, as first lady Ri Sol-ju re-emerged in public after a 17-month absence, her return appearing to signal a carefully orchestrated bid to project an image of dynastic stability.

Ri, carrying what appeared to be a Gucci handbag, was photographed alongside her husband, Kim Jong-un, and their daughter, Kim Ju-ae, at the opening of the long-delayed Wonsan-Kalma coastal resort – a showcase tourist zone on the country’s east coast.

The event, held on Tuesday and publicised in images released two days later by state media, was widely seen as a tightly choreographed family appearance intended to bolster the country’s domestic and international image.

“This is a choreographed move designed to project an image of an ideal socialist family embodied by the Kims,” Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told This Week in Asia.

Kim’s younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, was also present but kept her distance, seen standing near aides and playing a background role in support of her brother, sister-in-law and niece.

Notably, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui stood closer to Kim than his sister did, greeting foreign dignitaries including Russian Ambassador Alexandr Matsegora.

Ri, 35, a former singer born into an elite family, wore a white blouse, loose-fitting black trousers, and carried what South Korean media identified as a Gucci bag – an image of luxury that stood in stark contrast to the poverty experienced by many North Koreans.

This is not the first time the Kim family has been seen flaunting luxury goods, according to Yonhap News Agency. In 2023, Kim’s sister Yo-jong was spotted carrying what appeared to be a handbag from the French luxury brand Christian Dior. That same year, his daughter was seen wearing what looked like a Dior coat while attending the test launch of the Hwasong-17 missile.

The export of luxury goods to North Korea has been banned under UN Security Council sanctions imposed after Pyongyang’s first nuclear test in 2006. Still, the North is widely believed to smuggle such items via diplomatic pouches and distribute them among the ruling elite.

‘Greatest feat’

The Wonsan-Kalma resort’s construction began in 2016, with initial plans to open in 2019. However, its completion was repeatedly delayed due to international sanctions and the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout that time, Kim and Ri were occasionally photographed inspecting the site in Wonsan, a city where the North Korean leader is believed to have spent much of his childhood.

The sprawling beach resort in Kalma, on the country’s eastern coast, includes hotels and hostels with capacity for nearly 20,000 guests. Stretching along a 4km (2.5-mile) beach, the complex features facilities for swimming, sports, recreation and a variety of commercial and dining services, according to state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Kim Jong-un hailed the resort as one of the year’s “greatest feats”, calling it a cornerstone in the development of the country’s cultural tourism. “The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist area should play a leading role in establishing North Korea’s tourism culture,” he was quoted as saying by KCNA.

Pyongyang reportedly plans to develop similar large-scale tourist sites in other regions “in the shortest time possible”, using insights gained from the Kalma project.

However, a South Korean Unification Ministry official cast doubt on the site’s viability as a mass tourism hub, citing North Korea’s inadequate transport infrastructure. “Foreign visitors are likely to arrive only in small groups by air,” the official said.

Based on current air traffic between Pyongyang and Russia’s eastern port city of Vladivostok, Yonhap estimated that no more than 170 foreign tourists could visit the Kalma zone per day.

Elusive first lady

Ri had not been seen publicly since a New Year’s Day arts performance on January 1, last year. In her absence, daughter Ju-ae has frequently accompanied Kim to high-profile events, fuelling speculation about her rising public role.

The first lady was first introduced to the world in 2012, when she appeared at official functions with Kim, drawing attention for her stylish outfits and designer bags.

Later that year, North Korean state media confirmed her identity, referring to her as “Comrade Ri Sol-ju”.

Since then, she has made sporadic appearances at public events such as inaugurations, art performances and concerts – marking a significant departure from the regime’s previous practice of keeping first ladies out of the spotlight.

Ri disappeared from public view for extended stretches in 2015, 2016 and 2017. But she returned to prominence in 2018, when she accompanied Kim on diplomatic visits to China and received then South Korean President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook in Pyongyang for a summit.

During that time, her official title was upgraded to “Respected First Lady”.

In 2022, their daughter, Kim Ju-ae, made her debut in state media, photographed hand in hand with Kim while observing a missile launch. Since then, she has increasingly taken centre stage, often appearing beside her father in place of her mother.

“It is a reasonable assumption that Ri Sol-ju has reduced her public appearances in order to shift the spotlight to Ju-ae, who is seen as a potential successor,” said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies.

“Now, by reappearing alongside her daughter, Ri is attempting to project a sense of family stability, which in turn reinforces the image of national stability.”