Hong Kong (CNN) — So little is known about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that the identity of a woman seen by his side during more than one official engagement has sparked a flurry of speculation worldwide.
Was the slim woman in the sharp black suit his sister, wife or even lover?
No one seems to know, and Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University in South Korea, an expert and author of a number of books on North Korea, said it was unlikely speculators would ever find out.
“Everything related to Kim Jong Il’s children is a deadly secret. No sane North Korean who knows it would share this out for very special reasons,” Lankov said.
The mystery woman accompanied the young leader to a Pyongyang theater on Friday night to watch a performance of North Korea’s Moranbong band. The display included a cast of Disney characters, attracting the attention of The Walt Disney Company which issued a statement Tuesday saying it had not authorized their use.
Away from the stage, the young woman’s presence raised questions too about the purpose of the performance and the message the leadership was intending to convey.
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