Mr. Kim attended his banquet with his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and top members of his ruling Workers’ Party. The party included performances and patriotic songs swearing loyalty to the party and Mr. Kim, the North Korean news media said. Mr. Ri is North Korea’s minister of defense industries, and Mr. Hong is his deputy. Hours after the photo of the three men together was carried in the North Korean media last Sunday, the country conducted its nuclear test. Mr. Ri once served as director of North Korea’s atomic energy institute at its main nuclear complex in Yongbyon, the birthplace of the North’s nuclear weapons program.

Source: New York Times September 10, 2017 06:30 UTC