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Originally published July 9, 2012 at 6:04 PM | Page modified July 10, 2012 at 10:42 AM

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North Korean leader's female companion stirs speculation

So little is known about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's personal life that the appearance of an unidentified woman at his side has drawn curiosity from both sides of the divided peninsula.

Los Angeles Times

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LOS ANGELES — North Korean media have disclosed so little about leader Kim Jong Un's personal life that no one outside of his innermost circle knows his age or marital status. Now Koreans on both sides of the divided peninsula have a new mystery to ponder: Who is that elegant young woman at his side?

The same slender, 20-something woman seen with Kim at a Friday night concert in Pyongyang showed up with the young leader at a memorial ceremony on Sunday, which marked the 18th anniversary of the death of his grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung.

Dressed in a tailored black skirt suit, her short hair demurely tucked behind her ears, the woman applauded and bowed in unison with Kim during both public appearances. Her unexplained presence has set off speculation among analysts of the hermetic northern state about whether she might be his wife or perhaps a younger sister.

The KRT broadcast network, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper and the Central Korean News Agency all carried photos or footage of the couple at the two events, but none identified the mystery woman.

Cheong Seong-chang, a North Korea analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, told The Associated Press that Kim has a sister born in 1987. But the images of the woman with Kim didn't evoke much family resemblance.

Official biographies of Kim, believed to be in his late 20s, make no mention of his marital status. Since assuming the leadership in December, after the death of his father Kim Jong Il, he has attended official ceremonies with other senior government leaders or older family members.

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