Ri Sol-Ju: Pregnancy rumors surround Kim Jong-Un’s wife

Pregnancy rumors and speculation are swirling around Ri Sol-Ju, the wife of North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un, following her public return after a 50-day absence.

According to South Korean news site The Chosunilbo, government sources said Tuesday that the first lady of North Korea appears to be pregnant.

Ri hasn’t been seen in public for almost two months, but North Korean state media announced on Monday that she would accompany her husband to a concert at his alma mater, the Kim Il-Sung Military University.

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The couple’s attendance at the concert “drew a thunderous cheer from the audience,” the official KCNA news agency reported on Tuesday, noted Reuters. Ri’s public appearances with Kim, which were once frequent, are in stark contrast to North Korea’s usual image. Kim’s father, Kim Jong-Il, was rarely seen in public with any of his wives.

South Korean media is reporting that KCNA released a picture of Ri wearing a long coat that could be hiding a bump. Chosunilbo also noted that her face looked puffy in the photo.

"She is wearing a long coat but cannot hide her protruding abdomen," a government source told Chosunilbo.

There are also speculations that Ri has been kept out of the public eye as a disciplinary measure, according to CNN. She may have fallen out of favor for not wearing a lapel pin of North Korea’s former leaders, a requirement for all adults in the country.