June 01, 2015 10:28
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Yo-jong appeared in public for the first time in 47 days, with intelligences officials here speculating that she gave birth to her first baby.
The official [North] Korean Central News Agency on Friday showed Kim Yo-jong as part of an entourage touring a new tree nursery with her brother.
The last time she was seen in public was on April 12, when she accompanied the leader on a visit to Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport.
The National Intelligence Service told lawmakers last month that Kim Yo-jong was pregnant and would give birth in May.
North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun carried a photograph of Yo-jong with a protruding abdomen and swollen legs suggesting she had given birth recently. The NIS said her husband is believed to be a former classmate at Kim Il-sung University.
Sources variously say he works for the Workers Party's Room 39, which manages Kim Jong-un's slush funds, or comes from an elite military contingent that guards the North Korean leader.
Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un during the visit called for reforestation of the North's barren mountains. He is said to have executed a senior official responsible for reforestation programs.
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com