This Is What North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un Really Did To His Ex-Girlfriend
This Is What North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un Really Did To His Ex-Girlfriend
North Korean Tyrant Kim Jong-un is always surrounded by beautiful women. His wife, Ri Sol-ju, often appears with him, and Kim has also been assisted in public affairs by his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong. However, there is another woman who is not officially associated with him in any traditional family sense, but she is nevertheless one of the most powerful women in North Korea: his ex-girlfriend, Hyon Song-wol. According to various reports and rumors, Kim experienced dramatic personal chapters a few years ago, but how much of this is true, what connects them, and what about her life now? Keep reading to explore the deeper layers of this fascinating political dynamic.
This is a deep dive into the inner circles of Pyongyang. Arranged marriages are historically very popular in North Korea, and within this strict patriarchal society, parents often look for partners for their daughters and sons. After all, it is widely believed within the traditional mindset that older, experienced family members better understand who their children should marry. When you are the supreme leader of a country and your son must take your place in the future to preserve the dynasty, choosing the right bride becomes a matter of supreme national and political importance.
This is precisely why the second supreme leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-il, decided to find the absolute perfect bride for his son, Kim Jong-un. He chose a beautiful young woman named Ri Sol-ju, who was over twenty years old and came from a respected background. As apparent in North Korea’s rigid social structure, it was vital to the dictator that his son’s future wife was both good-looking and came from an elite, loyal family. Ri Sol-ju was considered perfect in every single way because she fully met their strict aesthetic and social beauty standards. In North Korea, she possessed white, smooth skin, a slim figure, and a classic round face that appealed to traditional ideals.
Furthermore, her parents belonged to the upper echelons of the political elite; her father worked as a respected professor, and her mother served as the head of a prominent medical ward. Ri Sol-ju thus emerged as the ideal companion for the ruler of North Korea. Moreover, unlike his father, who frequently appeared in public alone or kept his personal life heavily veiled, Kim Jong-un decided to break convention. He began to walk everywhere with his wife, showing the public that he had initiated a fresh, modern policy style in the country. Ri Sol-ju stepped into the role of the current first lady of North Korea while simultaneously taking on diplomatic responsibilities.
At the same time, she became famous internationally as a fashion lover because she liked to wear sophisticated outfits from luxury global brands such as Chanel and Dior. Allegedly, Ri Sol-ju bore her husband three children, although exact details remain heavily guarded state secrets. It is still not publicly known if any of these children are male and therefore a potential future successor to the regime. We only have fragmentary reports suggesting their second child is a girl, while conflicting rumors claim all their children are female, and others insist the eldest is a son. The reclusive dictator guards his personal life so closely that the absolute truth remains hidden behind layers of state security.
The former leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-il, is known to have arranged his son’s wedding in a sudden rush back in 2009 after suffering a major health scare. Was there genuine love between Kim Jong-un and his wife at the beginning? It is widely considered unlikely, as it was fundamentally an arranged political match rather than a marriage born purely of romance. At the time of the wedding, Kim was twenty-seven years old and had already experienced profound personal relationships. There was already another woman in his life whom he truly loved, but they could not be together because his father decided she was entirely unsuitable for the future supreme leader.
This woman is the famous North Korean singer and band leader, Hyon Song-wol. They first met when they were teenagers, but their romantic relationship blossomed in the early 2000s after Kim Jong-un returned to North Korea following his years of schooling in Switzerland. This sensitive information was leaked to international media outlets by sources within the South Korean government. Hyon Song-wol is not only an exceptionally beautiful woman but also immensely talented. In her home country, she is treated as a genuine superstar and rose to prominence as the leader of the North Korean pop group Moranbong Band, which found massive fame starting in the late eighties and nineties.
Western media organizations frequently compare this musical group with the famous British pop phenomenon the Spice Girls, but there is a major structural difference. Unlike Western pop groups that sing about diverse themes, musical bands in North Korea always perform strictly on political and ideological topics. They endlessly praise the ruling regime and the party because they operate within a tightly controlled artistic environment where artists have very few alternative choices. Some of Hyon’s best-known and most widely broadcast songs include Footsteps of Soldiers, I Love Pyongyang, She is a Discharged Soldier, A Girl on a Steed, and We Are Troops of the Party.
Hyon Song-wol has always commanded immense respect within her country for her artistic contributions, yet the previous ruler of North Korea firmly believed that such a woman was completely inappropriate for his son’s permanent partner. First, she was several years older than Kim, and second, despite her enormous popular success and celebrity status, she was still viewed merely as an entertainer, a profession traditionally regarded with certain reservations in elite political circles. Therefore, Kim Jong-il insisted that his son abruptly break off this romantic relationship, forcing the young Kim Jong-un to obey his father’s absolute will.
Ever since that royal intervention, Hyon Song-wol temporarily vanished from regular public view, prompting intense speculation from foreign observers. According to reports in the Japanese media, she soon married a loyal North Korean military officer with whom she started a family. Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un also proceeded with his arranged marriage. However, human emotions are complex, and true affection is difficult to erase completely. Therefore, following the death of his father in 2011, Kim gradually resumed close professional and personal ties with his former beloved. According to intelligence reports from South Korea, persistent rumors about the two maintaining a close connection began circulating quietly among the highest political elite in Pyongyang.
Being close to an absolute dictator is inherently dangerous, as history is filled with examples of powerful rulers turning unpredictably on those closest to them. Therefore, international media outlets were hardly surprised when sensational reports claimed that Kim Jong-un had allegedly executed his ex-lover. Rumors circulated that Hyon Song-wol was somehow involved in illegal activities, which are strictly prohibited under North Korean law, leading to claims that she faced a firing squad alongside several musical accomplices. The personal life of the North Korean leader has always been a breeding ground for wild, unverified rumors, including tales of political purges and bizarre punishments.
Despite the widespread panic and media frenzy surrounding these execution rumors, the story took a dramatic turn just a year later. Hyon Song-wol suddenly reappeared alive and well on North Korean state television, actively participating in a major National Convention of Artists and completely disproving the foreign rumors. Following this high-profile return, Hyon Song-wol ascended to an even more significant and influential position within the power structure. Today, she is not merely a celebrated singer but a powerful high-ranking politician who shapes national policy and culture.
In 2017, she achieved a major milestone when she was officially appointed to the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Over the past few years, she has frequently appeared at major state events right alongside Kim Jong-un, commanding immense authority. Interestingly, the official first lady of North Korea sometimes steps back from the constant spotlight, which has continually fueled speculation that Hyon Song-wol occupies a role far beyond that of a mere former girlfriend. Furthermore, she has increasingly taken on diplomatic and administrative duties that were previously handled by Kim’s younger sister.
Many political analysts and observers believe that she holds immense informal sway within the inner sanctum of the regime. While some rumors suggest she commands greater operational influence than even the dictator’s own sister, the absolute reality of these internal dynamics remains tightly guarded by the state apparatus. One undeniable fact is that Kim Jong-un provided her with extraordinary career opportunities and institutional power. As North Korea continues to navigate its complex geopolitical future, figures like Hyon Song-wol remain central to understanding the inner workings of one of the world’s most reclusive and tightly controlled nations.
