Hyon Song Wol’s influence and a botched concert

Hyon Song Wol, the leader of the Moranbong Band or the "Girl Group of North Korea," is known as the first love of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. She is the niece of Hyon Jun Geuk, who served as the head of the international department of the Workers’ Party and the chief editor of Rodong Sinmun, the North Korean daily. It is reported that Kim Jong Il, the late North Korean leader and Kim Jong Un’s father, tried to make him break up with her, perhaps because of his bitter memories deriving from his relationship with Song Hye Rim, Kim Jong Il’s lover who was older than him. “Hyon was made colonel of the North Korean People’s Army at the age 37. It would not have been possible without the unsparing support from Kim Jong Un,” says Professor Kang Myeong-do of Kyungmin University in South Korea.

After the death of Kim Jong Il, Kim Kyong Hee and Jang Song Taek recommended Rhee Sol Ju, the main vocalist of the Unhasu Orchestra, as Kim Jong Un’s wife. It was a measure to prevent any romantic scandal impeding Kim’s rising to power as ordained. The Moranbong Band was put together in 2012 by the order of Kim Jong Un, and reportedly, his wife was deeply involved in selecting the members of the band. Hyon Song Wol was a famed vocalist of the Unhasu Orchestra and Ponchonbo Electronic Ensemble. Rhee must have known well about the scandal between her husband and Hyon. The rumor about the execution order on Hyon must have things to do with this.

The National Intelligence Service of South Korea conjectured that the scheduled concert by the Moranbong Band was canceled as China sent attendees with much lower profiles because the concert was focused on idolizing Kim Jong Un. The Free North Korea Radio also reported that after the Chinese demanded the songs should be changed, Hyon Song Wol rebuffed the demand, saying, “Our concert has been rehearsed before our supreme leader, so I would not change even the smallest detail of the show.” It is reported that the band was called to withdraw only a few hours before the start of the concert after Hyon made a report to the North Korean leader.

In October, Kim Jong Un asked his men to take on a high-handed attitude against China, saying, “We must not be swayed by those Chinese folks.” It was right after Liu Yunshan, the fifth-ranked member of China`s Communist Party and the member of the Politburo Standing Committee, visited North Korea to attend the ceremony for the 70th anniversary of the Workers’ Party. Kim’s logic is that China will succumb to North Korea’s intransigency at the end of the day, and his decision to cancel the concert this time may well be in continuance of such logic. However, a high-ranking official of the South Korean security authorities said, “President Xi Jinping must be very upset,” predicting that there could be a serious aftermath in the relations between North Korea and China.

tao4@donga.com