Did North Korea’s leader have his ex-girlfriend executed?

A report in one of South Korea’s biggest papers, Chosun Ilbo – with a daily circulation of 2.3 million – claimed that a dozen well-known musicians were executed by firing squad nine days ago, including the dictator’s former girlfriend Hyon Song-wol.

The paper, citing an anonymous Chinese source, says the performers were arrested on 17 August and accused of violating anti-pornography laws by filming themselves having sex. Some of them allegedly had bibles in their possession.

According to the unconfirmed report, all twelve were gunned down in front of their families – before all the onlookers were shipped off to a prison camp in a kind of guilt-by-association.

North Korea is, of course, shrouded in secrecy, but it’s believed that Kim went out with Hyon ten years ago, but was forced to break off the relationship because his family disapproved.

Hit parade

Hyon was lead singer of a group known as the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble, which was responsible for a string of hit melodies like I love Pyongyang, We are Troops of the Party, and North Korea Party Rocking.

There is even a video of her most famous song, Excellent Horse-like Lady, which appears to be set in some kind of wire factory. A translation of the lyrics is even more surreal, featuring this refrain: “Our factory comrades say in jest/Why they tell me I am a virgin on a stallion”.

Kim Jong-un’s wife, Ri Sol-ju, was a member of the same musical group before they married, and Chosun Ilbo hints darkly about rumours that Kim and Hyon were having an affair. Whether his wife “had any hand in the executions”, it declares “is unclear.”

So can we believe this story?

There have been many reports which allege that Kim has been viciously eliminating anyone daring to challenge his authority, all of them impossible to verify in a country largely closed to foreign media.

Enemies “obliterated”?

One widely reported claim suggests the vice-minister of the army was “obliterated” by mortar fire, for apparently drinking during the official mourning period after the death of Kim Jong-il.

Experts, though, remain sceptical: Michael Madden, who runs the North Korea Leadership Watch blog, insists that stories of numerous violent deaths have been greatly exaggerated.

“If all the rumours of purges over the last five years were true”, he wrote, “then the parade review platform in Pyongyang would be desolate”.