North Korean leader's wife spotted with what appears to be a Gucci handbag during factory visit
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- KIM MIN-YOUNG
- [email protected]
![Ri Sol-ju, wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, tours newly built facilities in Gangdong County, on the outskirts of Pyongyang on Dec. 15. The red circle shows a Gucci bag that Ri is clutching. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/17/2e56c8fe-de92-45e7-b003-9053f58f5a9a.jpg)
Ri Sol-ju, wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, tours newly built facilities in Gangdong County, on the outskirts of Pyongyang on Dec. 15. The red circle shows a Gucci bag that Ri is clutching. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]
Ri Sol-ju, wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was spotted carrying what appears to be a Gucci handbag, during a visit to a local factory opening held on Monday.
The ceremony marked the completion of a local food processing factory and a comprehensive service center built under the regime's “Regional Development 20-10 Policy.” The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday that completion ceremonies were held Monday at regional factories in five locations nationwide.
![Kim Jong-un, center, tours newly built facilities in Gangdong County, on the outskirts of Pyongyang, with his daughter Kim Ju-ae, second from right, and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, right, on Dec. 15. The red circle shows a Gucci bag that Ri is clutching. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/17/3787da30-5f51-47fd-9b1f-47506a2b9c10.jpg)
Kim Jong-un, center, tours newly built facilities in Gangdong County, on the outskirts of Pyongyang, with his daughter Kim Ju-ae, second from right, and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, right, on Dec. 15. The red circle shows a Gucci bag that Ri is clutching. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]
![Kim Jong-un, front, tours newly built facilities in Gangdong County, on the outskirts of Pyongyang, with his daughter Kim Ju-ae and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, walking behind the state leader, on Dec. 15. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/17/ca0676c2-e13b-45a0-97ed-e298398bc4fd.jpg)
Kim Jong-un, front, tours newly built facilities in Gangdong County, on the outskirts of Pyongyang, with his daughter Kim Ju-ae and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, walking behind the state leader, on Dec. 15. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]
The bag appears similar to the one she carried at the opening ceremony of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area in June. The handbag, if genuine, is reportedly sold for around 3 million won ($2,030) on Gucci’s official online store.
Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un's sister, was previously spotted carrying a bag from French luxury brand Dior in 2023. In the same year, the leader's daughter Kim Ju-ae was seen wearing a Dior coat while attending the test launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile.
The United Nations Security Council has banned the export of luxury goods to North Korea under Resolution 1718, which was adopted in response to the North’s first nuclear test in 2006.
![Kim Jong-un, left, tours newly built facilities in Gangdong County, on the outskirts of Pyongyang, with his daughter Kim Ju-ae, to the state leader's right, and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, far right of the picture, on Dec. 15. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/17/dc1298c7-32b2-408e-886b-d7ee19c59280.jpg)
Kim Jong-un, left, tours newly built facilities in Gangdong County, on the outskirts of Pyongyang, with his daughter Kim Ju-ae, to the state leader's right, and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, far right of the picture, on Dec. 15. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]
![Kim Jong-un, center, tours newly built facilities in Gangdong County, on the outskirts of Pyongyang, with his daughter Kim Ju-ae, at his right, and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, at his left, on Dec. 15. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/17/0994b307-c330-42da-98be-f4e259934156.jpg)
Kim Jong-un, center, tours newly built facilities in Gangdong County, on the outskirts of Pyongyang, with his daughter Kim Ju-ae, at his right, and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, at his left, on Dec. 15. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]
BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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