Four important developments in Asia from this week and one key event to keep an eye out for next week.

North Korean state media confirmed Kim Jong Un’s marital status, with the country’s leader appearing publicly at an amusement park with his wife Ri Sol Ju. Reports also surfaced that his wife had allegedly visited South Korea in 2005 and had a child with Kim after their marriage in 2009.

China established the city of Sansha and a military garrison with appointed officers to bolster claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea in a move that provoked fierce opposition from neighboring Southeast Asian states.

The Democratic Party of Japan’s secretary general said the party plans to hold its presidential election September 24, during which the prime minister Yoshihiko Noda is expected to return.

A court judge allowed former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to post bail in connection with her allegations of electoral sabotage.

The defense chiefs of the United States and Japan are to hold talks next week on August 3 in Washington. The U.S. deployment of Osprey military aircraft is expected to top the agenda amid local opposition.