North Korean state media have confirmed for the first time that the country's leader Kim Jong-un is married.

Reports referred to him attending the opening of an amusement park with his wife, "Comrade Ri Sol-ju", the BBC reported Wednesday.

There had been much speculation about Kim's private life in recent weeks when an unidentified woman was pictured attending events with him.

Kim Jong-un took over as leader of the country after the death of his father Kim Jong-il in December last year.

The eight minute report on North Korean radio which mentioned Ms Ri was broadcast at 20:00 local time on Wednesday (11:00 GMT).

Analysts have been watching Mr Kim and his inner circle for clues as to the direction in which they will take the isolated state.

Last week authorities performed a military reshuffle widely interpreted by analysts as an attempt to stamp the authority of the new leader on North Korea's powerful army.

There is a North Korean singer by the name of Ri Sol-ju but it has not been confirmed whether Mr Kim's wife is the same woman. Nor did state media mention when the couple got married.

Ri is thought to be the same "mystery woman" who accompanied Mr Kim to several events in recent weeks and whose Western dress and hairstyle led some to speculate on the influence of Mr Kim's brief European education.

The woman was spotted with him at a concert featuring Disney characters and at a ceremony to mark the 18th anniversary of the death of Kim Il-sung, Mr Kim's grandfather.

South Korean media had previously speculated that the woman was another North Korean singer, Hyon Song-wol.

Appearing with his wife may be part of a more informal style that Mr Kim is trying to cultivate to contrast with the austere manner of his father, reports say.

The focus on Kim's personal life has been intense - within minutes of the news breaking, Ri's name was trending on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Ri is believed to have studied science and is from an upper-class family, her father being a professor and her mother an obstetrician, analyst Cheong Seong-chang told the South Korean Korea Times newspaper.

"The late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il arranged his youngest son's marriage in a hurry after suffering a stroke in 2008," Cheong added.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!