The first lady of North Korea was singer

YEREVAN, JULY 26, ARMENPRESS: North Korea's new young leader, Kim Jong-un, is married, state media said on Wednesday, putting an end to speculation over the relationship with a woman seen at his side during recent events, reports Armenpress citing Intelligencer.ca.

The announcement, which fits a trend the Kim has followed to break out of the dour management style of his late father, Kim Jong-il, came just two weeks after he was seen at a gala performance accompanied by the woman, with rumors swirling as to whether she was his wife, lover or sister.

''Kim Jong-un's move appears to give the youth hoping for change, especially young women, a favorable impression of him, although it can make conservative old North Koreans uncomfortable,'' said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute think-tank.

"Although Kim Jong-un continues a one-man dictatorship, he is expected to have a more open attitude in culture than in the Kim Jong-il era."

North Korean state broadcaster named Kim's wife as Ri Sol-ju, but did not say when the two were married.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said she had been a member of a troupe of performance artists and had received etiquette training for about six months before taking on the role of first lady, quoting a source familiar with the state's inner workings.

Recent TV footage showed the two laughing with each other, touching a child's hair together and clapping while watching a performance featuring western show tunes and Mickey Mouse.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters officials there were aware of the reports, but said the focus should be on Kim's long-suffering people.

"Our concerns, first and foremost, are for the North Korean people, and our hope that conditions for them will improve and that the new DPRK leadership will make the right choice about opening the country and providing more for their people," she said, using the acronym for North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.