Who is the famous 'pink woman' throughout the three generations of North Korean leaders?

International media calls Ri Chun-hee (74 years old) the "pink lady" of North Korea. She has become a familiar face, especially when tensions on the Korean peninsula have increased due to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.

Dressed in a traditional pink hanbok and seated in front of a backdrop of Mount Paektu, believed to be the ancestral home of the Korean people, Ri Chun-hee was tasked with announcing Pyongyang's successful test of a powerful hydrogen bomb.

Ms. Ri Chun-hee - Legendary announcer of North Korea.

When North Korea has an important announcement to make to the world via television, female announcer Ri Chun-hee (74 years old) is often chosen by Pyongyang. She is North Korea's favorite female announcer.

Ri Chun-hee's most recent appearance in traditional Korean women's clothing on KCTV was on September 3 to announce Pyongyang's successful test of a hydrogen bomb for use on intercontinental ballistic missiles.

This bomb is said to be five times more powerful than the "Fat Man" bomb that the US dropped on Nagasaki (Japan) during World War II. Reappearing on national television despite being retired, the veteran North Korean announcer still retains his usual cheerful voice and head-raising gesture.

North Koreans always look forward to her voice on television about important issues.

In her statement about Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test, Ri Chun-hee called it "clear proof" that North Korea's nuclear weapons have "a very precise basis." Also in her news report, there was a picture of leader Kim Jong-un sitting with three other officials and a handwritten directive authorizing the test at noon on September 3.

This is not the first time that Ri Chun-hee has been tasked with delivering important statements, and she has been trusted to do so for decades by the Pyongyang government.

Born in 1943 to a poor family in Gangwon Province under Japanese occupation, her career was exceptionally long and successful. She trained as an actress before becoming North Korea's most prominent television anchor. She first appeared on KCTV in 1971 and has been the station's chief news anchor since 1974.

The New York Times (USA) gave Ms. Ri Chun-hee the nickname "The woman who screams fire".

According to an article in the North Korean magazine Chosun Monthly, the late leader Kim Il Sung personally helped develop her career and helped her develop a strong, dramatic tone on television. "When Ri read out announcements and news reports, her enemies would tremble with fear," the magazine wrote.

International media calls Ri the "pink lady" of North Korea. To foreigners, Ms. Ri has become a familiar face, especially when tensions on the Korean peninsula have increased due to Pyongyang's weapons program. Her face is kind and gentle but also very serious, her voice is hearty and strong...

That is what the world still sees in Ms. Ri Chun-hee, who continuously represents the North Korean State to convey messages that make the world hold its breath. This familiar image made the New York Times (USA) give Ms. Ri Chun-hee the nickname "The woman who screams fire".

Most favorite announcer

Trusted and respected by the ruling Kim family, Chun-hee has a voice that is said to be powerful yet emotional. Dressed in traditional dress, with her black hair tied back, her captivating voice has accompanied many important news bulletins in North Korea over the years.

Ms. Ri Chun-hee read two important announcements about the deaths of late leaders Kim Il Sung and late leaders Kim Jong Il.

Known as the “people’s announcer,” she has been on national television for more than 40 years, known for her natural expressiveness. She wiped away tears while reporting the death of Kim Il Sung in 1994, reassured people when announcing the escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula in 2000, and was overcome with emotion when Kim Jong Il died in 2011.

Ri Chun-hee temporarily retired in 2012 but reappeared four years later to announce a missile test. She continues to make important announcements today. Experts say she is considered a key figure in North Korea's propaganda machine, where people are unlikely to change the channel when she appears.

"Her voice is so captivating that whenever she reports on television, viewers are moved," North's Chosun magazine once wrote. According to CNN, what attracts the most attention is Chun-hee's voice and accent when addressing important issues of the country and the world.

Ms. Ri Chun-hee is the most favored announcer.

Ri Chun-hee is 74 years old this year, and it is still unclear how much longer she will continue to serve the North Korean government. According to Sky News, the veteran North Korean news anchor is living with her family in a luxury residential area in Pyongyang.

With her great contributions to the propaganda field, Ms. Ri Chun-hee enjoys a very high salary. In 2009, the salary of a TV station employee was only about 90,000 won a month (nearly 100 USD), but Ms. Ri Chun-hee received nearly 500,000 won. That is a huge amount of money in North Korea and equivalent to the salary of a major general.

Announcer Ri Chun-hee (center) talks with colleagues in Pyongyang in April 2008.

She is said to have shifted her focus to training the younger generation of North Korean announcers. The Korean Central Television has many younger and more beautiful announcers, but none have surpassed Ri Chun-hee in making statements that leave the world breathless. In other words, no one can “scream fire” like the legendary Ri Chun-hee.

According to Phunuvietnam.vn