From K-Pop Trainee to Kim Family Nanny: The Dramatic Life Transformation of Hyon Song-wol, Deputy Director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Workers' Party of Korea

As a Deputy Director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Hyon Song-wol is a key figure who holds actual power and closely advises and assists Kim Jong-un, the President of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea. Her life is a tale of dramatic transformation, having been born into an ordinary family but achieving a position of privilege and influence.

Hyon Song-wol was born on September 17, 1977, in an ordinary household in Pyongyang, but she was fortunate from a young age. Her musical talents caught the attention of Kim Cho-sim , who provided her with the opportunity to attend Kum Song School and Pyongyang Kim Won Gyun University of Music and Dance, which are known to be the training grounds for North Korean entertainers. However, her real stroke of luck came when she met Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo-jong while at Kim Jong-il's secret villa.

Ko Yong-hui, the wife of Kim Jong-il and a former dancer, was informally involved in various artistic projects, including the "trailblazer singer program". In North Korea, the first singer holds a special status, accompanying Kim Jong-il to his secret parties and on-the-spot guidance sessions, and is classified as a special management target. To cultivate these singers, Ko Yong-hui selected talented individuals and provided them with education and musical training while living with them in secret locations. Hyon Song-wol was one of those selected and was included in this exclusive training program. During her time in secret locations, Hyon Song-wol had the opportunity to meet Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong.

Kim Jong-il kept his partner Ko Yong-hui and their children entirely out of the public eye, resulting in Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong having to grow up in strict isolation from the outside world. During the periods when Ko Yong-hui went to Switzerland for breast cancer treatment, Kim Yo-jong was left alone, which led to Hyon Song-wol feeling sorry for her and playing with her. As a result, Kim Yo-jong followed her like an older sister. Some say that Ko Yong-hui asked Hyon Song-wol to serve as Kim Yo-jong's babysitter later.

There have been rumors of a romantic relationship between Hyon Song-wol and Kim Jong-un. Hyon Song-wol released her first album as a singer for the Wangjaesan Light Music Band at the age of 18 in 1995, while Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong left for Switzerland to study the following year. Although it is uncertain when Kim Jong-un and Hyon Song-wol began their relationship, given that Kim Jong-un was only 12 years old at the time of their departure for Switzerland, it is likely that he developed romantic feelings for Hyon Song-wol during their time studying abroad.

Hyon Song-wol established herself as a prominent North Korean singer, becoming a representative singer for the country after releasing popular songs such as "Maiden like a Swift Horse" and "Footsteps of Soldiers" with the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble in 1999. However, her romantic relationship with Kim Jong-un gradually came to an end, possibly due to their age difference when she approached her thirties while he was still in his early twenties.

After disappearing from the stage in the mid-2000s, Hyon Song-wol briefly worked as a teacher and later married a man who was a former military officer in Kim Jong-il's security detail. In 2012, Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju created a new all-female musical group, the Moranbong Band, and Kim Yo-jong recommended Hyon Song-wol as its director. Despite being heavily pregnant at the time, Hyon Song-wol performed with the group at the International Women's Day concert in 2012, leading to rumors in South Korean media about her being Kim Jong-un's mistress, but no evidence was found to support these claims.

In 2013, a group of about 10 members of the Unhasu Orchestra, which was founded by Kim Jong-il in 2012, were executed after being caught making and distributing pornographic videos. Hyon Song-wol, who was the leader of the Moranbong Band at the time, was reportedly spared due to her close work with Kim Jong-un and her busy schedule preparing for performances. The executions were carried out mostly by ZPU-4, and while there were rumors that Hyon Song-wol was also executed, she later appeared in May 2014 at the 9th National Artists' Congress in Pyongyang, wearing a Colonel uniform as the leader of the Moranbong Band.

In 2015, when Hyon Song-wol led the Moranbong Band to Beijing for a performance, China requested that the band remove a scene involving a missile launch from the backdrop. Hyon declared that she could not alter the video that Kim Jong-un had approved and canceled the performance, an unprecedented move that demonstrated her privileged position in North Korea. In 2017, she was listed as a candidate member of the Central Committee of WPK during the 7th Party Congress.

Hyon's power and influence were also evident in South Korea. In 2018, she attended the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics as part of the North Korean delegation and made on-site decisions on critical security matters, disregarding even the surveillance officials of State Security Department. In 2019, she was seen assisting Kim Jong-un at the 2019 Koreas-United States DMZ Summit. It is believed that she took over some of Kim Yo-jong's responsibilities when Kim Yo-jong was promoted.

In 2021, Hyon Song-wol's status rose significantly. At the Military Parade of the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in January, she wore a black leather coat of the same design as Kim Jong-un, Kim Yo-jong, and Jo Yong-won, drawing attention as one of the three closest associates of Kim Jong-un. On Kim Il-sung's birthday on April 15, she worshiped at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun alongside Kim Jong-un, Kim Yo-jong, Ri Sol-ju, and Jo Yong-won. Hyon Song-wol has continued to assist Kim Jong-un in various events, and her rank among the leadership has never fallen below fifth.

Hyon Song-wol's elevation in status under Kim Jong-un is said to be so significant that if North Korean officials do not properly understand Kim Jong-un's orders, they are advised to ask her. This is because in North Korea, failing to carry out Kim Jong-un's orders correctly could result in losing one's life.

Hyon Song-wol is said to have an obsession with luxury goods , which has been covered in the South Korean media. During her visit to Korea for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics performance, she was reported to have been carrying a Hermes bag worth 25 million Korean won (approximately 22,000 US dollars). In 2015, when she went to Beijing for a performance, she appeared wearing military attire with a Chanel quilting bag. There are also rumors that she owns a foreign currency earning business. It is suggested that she may soon be caught for corrupt activities, as she may have taken bribes in exchange for fulfilling various requests. It's assumed that the only person who can rescue Hyon Song-wol from such a predicament is Kim Yo-jong.

During the 2018 Seoul concert rehearsal of the Samjiyon Orchestra, Hyon Song-wol bid farewell to Kim Yo-jong in a political manner by bending her waist 90 degrees and did not stand up until Kim Yo-jong's car was out of sight. This excessive flattery is assumed to be Hyon Song-wol's own way of survival in North Korea.