by Darcie Draudt

Over the past six months or so, international English-language news media outlets addressing the question of “Who is Kim Jong Un’s wife, Ri Sol Ju?” have only provided more fodder for the construction of Ri Sol Ju into a curious international celebrity. Since her confirmation as the DPRK leader’s wife in late July 2012, major news sources have continued to turn out speculation about the woman who is seen as an elusive East Asian celebrity. As the Guardian noted in an October 30, 2012, piece for its regular “Passnotes: A Humorous Q&A About a News Issue of the Day:”