Ri Chun-hi

RI CHUN-HI (1943- ). Ri Chun-hi is the face of television news in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. As such, she can frequently be seen on YouTube and similar outlets. She was originally an actress at the Korean Film Studios, but was selected to be a news presenter for the newly established Korean Central Television in about 1971. Since then, she has become the most prominent television news reader and is usually chosen to make special announcements such as the death of Kim Il Sung in 1994 or the nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. On such occasions, her voice vibrates with emotion. She normally appears in traditional Korean dress, and her "rusty" voice is much admired. In addition to her television appearances, she has also provided commentary for documentary films about both Kim Il Sung and his successor Kim Jong Il. It was Ri who made the official announcement of Kim Jong Il's death in December 2011, and she appeared in a number of subsequent items about the event. She is a member of the propaganda and agitation departments of the Korean Workers' Party.

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