Wife of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Reemerges With Luxury Handbag

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s wife, Ri Sol Ju, reemerged in public Tuesday after a year and a half out of the spotlight, joining him and their daughter, Ju Ae, at a lavish completion ceremony for a beach resort on the poverty-stricken nation’s east coast.

Ri, who was last seen in state media photos on January 1, 2024, was pictured carrying what appears to be a handbag made by Italian luxury brand Gucci.

Why It Matters

Luxury good exports to North Korea are banned under United Nations sanctions targeting Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Nonetheless, such items reportedly make their way into the country via diplomatic pouches, which are exempt from customs inspection under international law.

Kim Jong Un’s taste for luxury is well documented, from expensive watches and cars to private jets. His close ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, even gifted him a Russian-made limousine after Kim took a liking to the vehicle during his 2023 visit to the country.

Newsweek reached out to the North Korean embassy in China via emailed request for comment.

What To Know

Ri’s handbag appeared to be a Gucci GG Marmont shoulder bag, which retails for over $2,000.

After the regime’s move in late 2023 to raise official wages tenfold, the average worker now earns about 30,000 North Korean won—less than $4—per month, analysts say.

Retail prices in North Korea are low but analysts say most citizens cannot survive on state salaries alone and must rely on informal or black market work to make ends meet.

1 of 2

While Ju Ae—widely believed to be Kim’s chosen successor—now frequently appears alongside her father, Ri’s reemergence may be part of efforts to showcase the new Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area on the Kalma Peninsula.

Kim declared that Wonsan Kalma would “shine as a world-level tourist resort,” the first of several “paradises” planned around the country, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

State media called the ceremony a “great auspicious event” in a press release.

The tourist zone’s hotels can accommodate nearly 20,000 guests and it boasts a range of facilities, restaurants and sea bathing. These features, KCNA said, “offer all year round the real taste of the east coast, presenting a wonderful picture of a 4 kilometer (2.5-mile)-long stretch of beach to be crowded with people every year.”

Moscow’s ambassador and other officials from the Russian mission in the country attended the ceremony as special guests, per the outlet.

What People Are Saying

Rachel Minyoung Lee, a non-resident fellow with the 38 North program at the Stimson Center, told CNN: “Wonsan-Kalma is open to just North Koreans for now, but we should not be surprised to see Russians at the resort in the not-too-distant future.

“More broadly, the opening of a major beach resort like Wonsan-Kalma helps to reinforce the state media narrative of Kim’s people-first policy and helps to balance out his greater focus on building up national defense,”

What’s Next

The resort will open to domestic tourists on July 1, according to KCNA. However, tour operators cited by the BBC believe Wonsan Kalma is primarily geared toward visitors from Russia.

Russians are currently the only foreign nationals permitted in certain areas of North Korea, as the two countries continue to deepen their ties.