The North Korean mystery woman who recently appeared next to the country’s new leader Kim Jong-Un has caused the speculation machine to spin out of control. Is she his sister? His lover? His wife? His mistress? Although quite a few insiders and North Korean experts have weighed in on the matter, at the end of the day, nobody truly knows who this woman is. All we can do is sit back and speculate, which is precisely what is happening right now.
The country’s state television aired footage on Sunday of a woman dressed in all black, who appeared next to Jong-Un during their tribute to the leader’s late grandfather, Kim Il-Sung. At a concert by the state orchestra on Friday, the woman was seated next to Jong-Un, leading some to speculate that she may, in fact, be the leader’s younger sister.
JoongAng Ilbo, a newspaper published in Seoul, South Korea, said the woman could be Hyon Song-Wol, a famous North Korean singer who many believe is Jong-Un’s lover. According to reports, the woman disappeared from the public eye in 2006, though she resurfaced in late March with a bun in the oven. Rumors are swirling that Hyon, who has been friends with Kim since they were teenagers, is the leader’s lover.
However, Yang Moo-Jin of Seoul’s University of North Korean Studies, explained there was very little chance that Hyon is Jong-Un’s lover, as first ladies rarely make public appearances with the leaders. So much for that theory, I guess.
Since it’s hard to get any information out of the country — for example, nobody seems to know just how old Kim Jong-Un is — it’s really anybody’s guess who this woman in black truly is. Those who might know the truth, such as Seoul’s intelligence agency and unification ministry, simply aren’t saying. Unless you’re willing to risk life and limb by sneaking into the country and learning the truth first-hand, chances are this one is mystery that will remain unsolved.