The mystery companion attended two events last weekend during which she remained by Kim Jong-un’s side, but North Korean media failed to enlighten the curious outside world as to who she might be. Since Kim Jon-un took on the role of Supreme Leader following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, last December, he has never been seen accompanied by a woman. So little is known about the new ruler’s personal life – down to his age – that some media believe the woman may even be his wife. For others, the idea that Kim has casually introduced his mistress into the public sphere seems unrealistic. In an interview with AFP, Yang Moo-jin of Seoul’s University of North Korean Studies suggested that she may be “a daughter of one of the mistresses of the late Kim Jong-il,” who Kim Jong-un has brought into the limelight in order to “showcase the solidarity in the ruling family.”
