(Newser)
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Kim Jong Un is off the market and on the scene. The North Korean leader emerged with wife Ri Sol Ju yesterday, and whisked her off to that most-important of government duties: touring a newly opened amusement park (the amusingly named Rungna People's Pleasure Ground). The AP describes it as a "carefully choreographed appearance" designed to present Kim as your average, friendly world leader ... one apparently willing to visit a dolphin show, a wading pool, and a mini golf course.
It was actually the amusement park trip that broke the news of the marriage, which, according to South Korean reports, occurred in 2009. State TV tacked this bit onto its report yesterday: "As a welcoming song resonated, dear respected Marshal Kim Jong Un, supreme commander of our party and people, appeared at the inauguration ceremony together with his wife, comrade Ri Sol Ju." That almost easy-to-miss sentence served as the big reveal. Analysts say the disclosure of his marital status was aimed at sending the message that the 20-something Kim is mature and stable.
