By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Kim Jong-un visits the new home of Ri Chun-hee, an announcer for North Korea’s Central Broadcasting Corporation. The content of this image, as provided, cannot be independently verified. The Korean watermark on the image provided by the source reads: “KCNA,” an acronym for the Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA/Korea News Agency via AP)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Ri Chun-hee, North Korea’s most prominent state TV anchor, has been announcing major events for decades, including nuclear and missile tests and the death of its leader, in an instantly recognizable, passionate voice.
The anchor, dubbed the “Pink Girl” abroad for her bright traditional Korean dress, has become a celebrity herself after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave her a lavish abode and asked her to continue to be a voice for the ruling workers. the topic of North Korean state media. ‘ reunion.
Experts say Kim Jong-un is offering special treatment to North Korean elites to boost their loyalty as he grapples with a pandemic, a struggling economy and a nuclear diplomatic standoff with the United States.
The Korean Central News Agency “(Kim) said that for a national treasure like her, she has served as a revolutionary announcer for the party for more than 50 years since she was a girl, and it is the sincerity of the party at all costs,” it said. Kim Jong-un said, “I hope she can continue to work hard in a healthy and healthy way like the party’s spokesperson.”
Kim Jong-un, who is about 79 years old, met with Lee, who was about 79 years old, after he unveiled a new residential complex with riverside terraces in the capital Pyongyang on April 13, KCNA said. It said homes in the area were given to Lee and others who had made outstanding contributions to the country.
North Korea often launches construction projects to mark important national anniversaries. April 15 marks the 110th birthday of Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of Kim Jong-un and the founder of the country. It is the most important anniversary for North Korea, where the Kim family has been ruled for three generations since its founding in 1948. The new residential area was where Kim Il-sung’s official residence was until the 1970s.
Pyongyang is North Korea’s model city, and its elite residents live relatively well-off compared to those in many remote rural areas that remain poor and malnourished. Most of the North Koreans who have fled the country over the past two decades have come from northern regions close to the Chinese border.
“By giving houses to those who are loyal to him, Kim Jong-un hopes to further strengthen their loyalty and internal unity,” said Moon Sung-mu, an analyst at the Seoul-based Korea National Institute for Strategic Studies.
“His Haruyuki is a clear example of such a person because she heavily promoted his nuclear and missile tests and acted as some kind of horn for him.”
Kim visited Ri’s house with her and held her hand as they descended the stairs. According to KCNA, Li said she felt her new house was like a hotel, and all her family members “stayed up all night and were deeply grateful for the party’s kindness.”
Ri later used her trademark bombastic speaking skills to narrate a national TV video of Kim showing her the house.
Lee joined state television in the early 1970s, when the country was still ruled by Kim Il-sung, and she gradually became the face of the country’s propaganda-driven news broadcasts.
She showed off her close relationship with Kim at the government foundation’s anniversary last year, when she watched from an elevated balcony next to Kim, at one point putting her hand on his shoulder and whispering to him. At another event, she was the first to hold Kim Jong Un’s arm and take a group photo.
Analyst Moon Jae-in said Lee, receiving cabinet-level treatment at home, looked healthy and was expected to continue to deal with key televised announcements for at least the next few years.
Ri’s passionate, ebullient style sometimes elicits laughter in other countries. In 2011, a Taiwanese TV station apologized after one of its newscasters imitated Lee’s tone when he announced the death of Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il.
Kim Jong Un, 38, has led North Korea with absolute authority since inheriting power after his father’s death. But he is facing one of the toughest moments of his presidency after the coronavirus pandemic rocked an economy already mired by mismanagement and U.S.-led sanctions. Analysts said the latest missile test was aimed at boosting his arsenal and forcing the United States to recognize North Korea as a nuclear state and ease international sanctions.
