SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – State media presenter Ri Chun Hee is one of North Korea’s most famous voices after announcing the country’s major events in recent decades – including nuclear tests and missiles and the death of a leader. in a resounding, thriving voice full of emotion.
The presenter, dubbed the “pink lady” for her glamorous, traditional attire, was the subject of official North Korean media coverage on Thursday after leader Kim Jong Un gave Ri a luxury home and asked her to stay active. as the voice of his decision.  Labor Party.
Experts say Kim is trying to bolster support from North Korea’s elites as the country faces pandemic difficulties and a diplomatic stalemate.
“(Kim) said it is the party’s sincerity that there is nothing to save for the country’s treasures like the one she worked as a revolutionary spokesperson for the party for more than 50 years since she was a girl,” official Korean Central told News agency.  Kim expressed “the expectation that she would continue her work as vigorously as ever with good health as befits a party spokeswoman.”
Kim met Ri in a newly built residential area with steps by the river that opened Wednesday in Pyongyang.  The KCNA said the homes in the area were presented to Ri and other individuals who have provided distinguished services to the state.
Friday marks the 110th birthday of Kim’s late grandfather and founder of the state, Kim Il Sung.  It is the most important state anniversary in North Korea, which has been ruled by three generations of the Kim family since its founding in 1948. The new residence is the official residence of Kim Il Sung until the 1970s.
“By giving houses to those who are loyal to him, Kim Jong Un would like to further strengthen their rights and internal unity,” said Moon Seong-mook, an analyst at the Seoul-based Korean National Strategy Research Institute.  “Ri Chun Chi is a clear example of such people, as he has strongly disseminated his nuclear and missile tests and has served as a kind of admirer for him.”
The KCNA said Kim looked around Ri’s home on Wednesday and took an unspecified step to prevent her from suffering “while going up and down the stairs”.
Ri, who is about 79 years old, said she felt her new home was like a hotel and that all members of her family “stayed awake all night with tears of deep gratitude for the goodness of the party,” according to the KCNA. .
Ri joined state television in the early 1970s, when the country was still ruled by Kim Il Sung, and gradually became the face of the country’s propaganda-based newscasts.
Her close ties to Kim became apparent during a military parade last year, when she watched troops march from an elevated terrace right next to Kim, put her hand on his shoulder and whispered to him at one point.  At another event, he was the first person to shake hands with Kim before holding her hand and posing for a group photo.
Moon, the analyst, said Ri is receiving treatment at the cabinet level at home, looks healthy and is expected to continue handling key TV announcements for at least the next few years.
Ri’s passionate, diffuse style has sometimes caused laughter in other countries.  In 2011, a Taiwanese television station apologized after one of its news readers mimicked Ri’s tone he used when announcing the death of Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong Un, 38, has ruled North Korea since taking office after his father’s death.  But it is facing one of the most difficult times of its rule, as the coronavirus pandemic shocked an economy already in dire straits from US-led mismanagement and sanctions.  Analysts say the recent missile tests were intended to advance its weapons and pressure the United States and its adversaries to make diplomatic concessions.