The wife and aunt of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a rare public appearance on Wednesday.
Mr Kim's wife, Ri Sol-ju, and his aunt, Kim Kyong-hui, were shown on state television as they accompanied him at an art performance at the Mansudae Art Theatre in the capital Pyongyang to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday.
North Korea's ruling family has maintained a low profile during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ms Ri was last seen on September 9, the anniversary of the country's founding, when she joined her husband at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which houses the embalmed bodies of Mr Kim's grandfather and father.
“When [Mr Kim] appeared at the auditorium of the theatre with his wife, Ri Sol-ju, amid the playing of the welcome music, the audience raised stormy cheers of 'Hurrah!'” the official KCNA news agency said.
Ms Ri, in a traditional red-and-black hanbok dress, was shown on TV chatting and smiling with Mr Kim during the show. The couple then took to the stage to shake hands and take a photo with the artists.
The clip also confirmed the first appearance since January 2020 of Mr Kim's aunt and former senior official of the ruling Workers' Party, Ms Kim, who sat next to Ms Ri during the performance.
She was a key figure in the leader's first years in power, only to disappear from public sight after he ordered the execution of her husband, Jang Song-thaek, for treason in 2013.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service said in 2017 that she was dealing with an unspecified illness outside Pyongyang. She first reappeared in 2019.
Ms Ri once gathered international attention as she often accompanied Mr Kim on social, business and even military outings, in a stark break from his father, Kim Jong-il, who was rarely seen in public with any of his wives.
She was absent from state media for more than a year before being seen at a concert last February, fuelling speculation that she had been pregnant.
The NIS believes Mr Kim and Ms Ri have three children, but little is publicly known about them.
North Korea has not confirmed any Covid-19 outbreaks, but closed its borders and taken strict curbs including travel restrictions.
Pictures: Kim Jong-un and wife Ri Sol-ju in Beijing in 2018
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju arrive in Beijing, China. KCNA via Reuters -
Kim Jong-un, right, walks with Chinese president Xi Jinping during their meeting in Beijing, China. KCNA / EPA -
The North Korean leader was greeted by Wang Huning, member of the Politburo Standing Committee, on arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing. KCNA / AP Photo -
The North Korean delegation and Chinese officials hold a meeting in Beijing. KCNA / EPA -
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife and his wife Ri Sol-ju, left, pose for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. KCNA / EPA -
The leaders shake hands. -
Kim Jong-un declared North Korea's unstinting "friendship, unity and cooperation" with Beijing during his visit. Shen Hong / Xinhua via AP -
The North Korean leader, who was greeted by a military honour guard and cheering children at the Great Hall of the People. KCNA via Reuters -
People cycle past a giant TV screen in Beijing broadcasting the meeting. Andy Wong / AP Phoyo
