Free Republic

North Korea's most famous news anchor has reportedly been replaced by younger presenters as the country's state-owned broadcaster undergoes a modern makeover. Ri Chun-hee began working for North Korean TV in 1971 and became chief news presenter of KCTV in the 1980s. Nicknamed the "pink lady," she usually wears a pink Western-style suit or traditional Hanbok dress. She has been characterised by her animated announcing style, resonant voice and sometimes vitriolic tone, and was once described as "vaguely menacing". But the 75-year-old presenter - who cried onscreen when announcing the deaths of Kim II-sung and Kim Jong-il - has not...

North Korea’s star newsreader back to announce nuclear test success AFP, Pyongyang | Updated: Sep 09, 2016 14:20 IST North Korea deployed its most trusted newsreader on Friday to herald the success of its fifth nuclear test on state television. The special broadcast was aired at around 1:00 pm Pyongyang time (0430 GMT) without prior notice, coming a few hours after South Korea said its neighbour had conducted another nuclear test. Wearing her trademark pink and black traditional Korean dress, veteran announcer Ri Chun-Hee smiled as she told viewers of KCTV — and the world — that the latest test...

If it's big news in North Korea, this is the woman who will deliver it She's mournfully announced the deaths of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. She's bombastically delivered news of North Korea's proudest achievements. And she was, until recently, mostly retired, having stepped aside to mentor the next generation of so-called television readers on North Korean television. But no newshound can truly ever quit the business, and so on Wednesday morning in Pyongyang, Ri Chun-hee slipped on her hanbok and stepped back into her anchor chair on the state-run Korean Central Television news channel, where she proudly boasted that...

Link is to Japanese from original South Korean source. First, and turning prematurely green, an obligatory picture of assailant (patent liar of the evening Korean Central TV out of Pyongyang for many years), tasked with emotionally reporting specifically on Kim Jong il, missile launches, underground nuke tests, heightened military alerts and the like, and now -- conceivably, on issues relating to Kim Jong Un. Secondly, her recent five-star performance wearing black mourning Korean "hanbok", telling the world that the Beloved Dear Chia Pet was no longer with us--a real tear jerker /sarc.

/begin my excerpts Star Anchor of Korea Central TV off the Screen for 50 Days, What Happened? Yang Seung-shik Ri Chun-hee(age:68,) the star anchorwoman of N. Korea's Korea Central TV, has not been seen on screen for over 50 days, it has been confirmed. Her absence is quite unusual. As a star anchor for 40 years, she had been reporting major stories such as activities of N. Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Japan's Sankei Shimbun reported on Dec. 12 that she was last seen on Oct. 19 news broadcast. Since then, she has been absent. /end my excerpts