This is a guest post from the NS’s web editor, Caroline Crampton.
Kim Jong-il may be gone, but fortunately for the rest of us, his talent for the unutterably bizarre appears to have been hereditary.
His son, Kim Jong-un, has provided us all with a treat in the form of his alleged girlfriend’s pop career.
Hyon Song-wol, who has been spotted repeatedly with North Korea’s supreme leader in recent weeks, seems to be the former vocalist of the Bochonbo Electronic Music Band. Here’s their 2005 hit “Excellent Horse-Like Lady” for your enjoyment:
The band were nothing if not loyal – other hits apparently included “Footsteps of Soldiers,” “I Love Pyongyang,” “She Is a Discharged Soldier,” and “We are Troops of the Party”.
It’s said that Kim Jong-un first dated Hyon about ten years ago, but it is speculated that Kim Jong-il felt her to be an unsuitable partner for a future leader of a totalitarian regime, and separated them. Now with crazy-daddy out of the picture, Hyon is back on the scene, and there are rumours that they are already married and just waiting for the opportune moment to break the good news to the already-delighted-because-they-have-to-be population of North Korea.
I, for one, am rooting for them to be the new Kate and Wills. If she sticks around, she might make more songs.