[imText1]Speculation has emerged that a second woman who appeared in footage of Kim Jong Eun at a concert by Moran Hill Orchestra on July 6th was Hyun Song Wol, the same woman who was widely reported to have been in an extra-marital relationship with Kim Jong Eun back in March.
Defectors who spent time with Hyun when they lived in North Korea believe that the woman in her 30s seated behind Kim Jong Eun’s left shoulder among Party cadres is indeed Hyun.
They believe that Hyun, who is said to be married to an Escort Command officer, appeared in the footage so as to downplay rumors about her relationship with Kim. Especially, it is asserted that Kim’s appearance at the same event with a different young woman would lead to the assumption that she is his wife, further diluting negative rumors about Hyun.
Indeed, given that Hyun was seated with senior cadres, it is even possible that she has been elevated to an elite Party post herself. She was also photographed taking notes while Kim Jong Eun was issuing instructions after the show, very much like a Party person would.
[imText2]According to information obtained from sources, Hyun graduated from Pyongyang University of Music and began her singing career with the Bocheonbo Electronic Ensemble. In 2006, she caught Kim Jong Eun’s eye, and their relationship continued until Kim Jong Il ordered Kim to conclude it before graduating from Kim Il Sung Military University.
Thereafter, she disappeared until after Kim Jong Il’s death, but then reemerged on March 8th this year at a performance by the Eunhasu Orchestra in celebration of International Women’s Day. She became the talk of the town after being plucked “at random” from the audience to sing a song.
According to an article in the Rodong Shinmun the following day, the host of the performance interviewed the then-pregnant Hyun, asking “whether she wants a son or a daughter” and Hyun replied that “she wants a boy…but…”.
It used to be customary for members of what used to be called the ‘Pleasure Corps’, that group of women picked for their beauty to entertain Kim Jong Il, to marry Escort Command officers, and it may be that something similar has happened in this case. Equally, while it has yet to be confirmed that the woman at the July 6th event was actually Hyun, if it was then it is also possible that her relationship with Kim has begun once again.
