The mysterious life of Kim Jong-un's wife, Ri Sol-ju, who probably has 3 children and frequently disappears from the public eye

Little is known about the North Korean dictator’s partner

Mr Kim and wife Ms Ri attend the 2014 Combat Flight Contest among commanding officers of the Korean People's Air Force (Reuters)

Few details are known about Ri Sol-ju, the woman who in 2012 was identified as the wife of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

Ms Ri is thought to be 28 now and a mother to three children, according to South Korean intelligence reports. The hermit kingdom's secretive government, however, has not confirmed that information.

Ms Ri doesn't appear in public very often. She's usually seen when Mr Kim celebrates missile test launches, and is always photographed smiling politely, wearing clean-cut, pastel-coloured dresses.

Ms Ri was reportedly born into an elite family – her father was a professor and her mother a doctor – but little else is known about her life or how she ultimately became the wife of the world’s most notorious living dictator.

Here's everything we know about Ri Sol-ju:

She was first identified as the wife of Kim Jong-un in July 2012, when North Korean state media made it official.

Mr Kim and Ms Ri attend the opening ceremony of the Rungna People’s Pleasure Ground on Rungna Islet along the Taedong River in Pyongyang on 25 July, 2012 (AP) (KCNA via KNS/AP Images)

An international media frenzy had been mounting for weeks over the “mystery woman” spotted with Kim at a a series of public events, including a theatre performance featuring Disney characters, and a tribute to Mr Kim’s grandfather on the anniversary of his death.

The couple applaud during a performance by the newly formed Moranbong band in Pyongyang on 9 July, 2012 (Reuters) (KCNA via Reuters)

Ms Ri's eventual public introduction was underwhelming, to say the least. North Korean media mentioned her almost as an afterthought during coverage of an amusement park opening in Pyongyang.

Husband and wife attend the opening ceremony of the Rungna People’s Pleasure Ground on Rungna Islet along the Taedong River (Reuters) (KCNA via Reuters)

“While a welcoming song was resonating,” state television reported, “Marshal Kim Jong-un appeared at the ceremony site, with his wife, Comrade Ri Sol-ju.”

It’s unclear exactly when Kim and Ri got married. Some have reported the wedding was in 2009 and Ri gave birth to a child the next year, while others have said that the couple didn't meet until a classical music concert in 2010.

Mr Kim and Ms Ri arrive at an auditorium to attend a celebration of the 59th anniversary of ‘the victory’ of 1950-53 Korean War on 31 July, 2012 (Reuters) (KCNA via Reuters)

The secrecy around their wedding was no surprise to North Koreans and international observers of the hermit kingdom. Mr Kim’s father never introduced his multiple wives to the public at all.

Little is known about the life Ms Ri led before marrying Mr Kim, but South Korean intelligence reports have said she once studied singing in China, and visited South Korea in 2005 as a member of North Korea’s cheerleading squad.

Mr Kim and Ms Ri look on during a visit to Unit 1017 of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Air and Anti-Air Force (Reuters) (KCNA via Reuters)

Ms Ri is known for her taste in western fashion -- she has been spotted carrying expensive bags by designers like Dior and Chanel.

Her penchant for luxury goods has attracted international criticism. North Korean civilians have struggled for years under famine, drought, and widespread poverty.

Earlier this year, Ri disappeared from public view for several months, prompting speculation over her well-being. In August, South Korean intelligence reported that she had given birth to a child and dropped out of the public eye because she was pregnant.

The couple play with children during a visit to the Taesongsan General Hospital in Pyongyang (Reuters) (KCNA via Reuters)

It's believed that the couple now have three children, though the most detailed information comes from former NBA star Dennis Rodman, well known for his controversial friendship with Mr Kim and frequent trips to North Korea. Mr Rodman said he met the couple’s second child in 2013, a baby girl named Ju-ae.

Dennis Rodman prepares to go through immigration at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing in June 2017 (AP) (Associated Press/Mark Schiefelbein)

“I held their baby Ju-ae and spoke with Ms Ri as well. [Mr Kim’s] a good dad and has a beautiful family,” Mr Rodman told The Guardian. Those details have not been independently corroborated.

South Korean media has speculated that Ms Ri may have been pressured to have a third child in the hopes that it would be a boy who could inherit Mr Kim’s dictatorship, assuming both of the couple’s previous children were girls.

One North Korean defector-turned-researcher, Ahn Chan-il, told South Korean news network YTN that there was “pressure to quickly give birth to a son, because the regime is not so sturdy”.

An activist from an anti-North Korea civic group defaces a North Korea flag depicting North's leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju during a rally against North Korea's nuclear test near the US embassy in central Seoul on 12 February, 2013 (Reuters) (REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji)

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