(Bloomberg) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s aunt, Kim Kyong Hui, appeared in state media on Sunday, the first time she has been seen in public since her husband Jang Song Thaek was executed in 2013.
The 73-year-old sat two seats away from her nephew, according to a photo by Korean Central News Agency. The leader’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, and North Korea’s de facto second-in-command, Choe Ryong Hae, also attended the orchestra performance in Pyongyang, the report said.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service had previously said that Kim Kyong Hui was receiving treatment near North Korea’s capital Pyongyang, Joongang Ilbo reported in 2017. She had stepped aside from playing a core role in the leadership of Kim Jong Il, the current leader’s late father, the report said.
The latest appearance of Kim Jong Un alongside his aunt, sister and wife could be the North Korean leadership’s way of emphasizing blood ties as state media have repeatedly warned of a “new path” for 2020. Kim announced in a New Year’s speech that he was no longer bound by his promise to U.S. President Donald Trump to halt major missile and nuclear tests.
KCNA also confirmed North Korea had replaced its foreign minister with Ri Son Gwon, who served as an army officer and led North Korea’s talks with South Korea.
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