Hyon Song-wol

Hyon Song-wol
Born	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Nationality	North Korean
Occupation	Singer
Employer	Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble
Known for	"Excellent Horse-Like Lady" (Chosŏn'gŭl: 준마처녀; Hancha: 駿馬處女; RR: Junma Cheonyeo; MR: Chunma Ch'ŏnyŏ)
Notable work	"Footsteps of Soldiers", "I Love Pyongyang", "She is a Discharged Soldier" and "We are Troops of the Party".
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl	현송월
Hancha	玄松月
Revised Romanization	Hyeon Song-wol
McCune–Reischauer	Hyŏn Song-wŏl

Hyon Song-wol (Chosŏn'gŭl: 현송월) is a North Korean singer, formerly the vocalist for the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble, a pop group which found fame in North Korea in the early 2000s. Her best known songs include "Excellent Horse-Like Lady", "Footsteps of Soldiers", "I Love Pyongyang", "She is a Discharged Soldier" and "We are Troops of the Party".

Hyon Song-wol came to world attention when, on 29 August 2013, The Chosun Ilbo reported that she was executed by firing squad, together with members of the Unhasu Orchestra and the Wangjaesan Light Music Band, on the orders of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Pyongyang's state news agency KCNA denied claims that the singer was executed, and a Japanese news magazine reported that she was seen subsequently. On 16 May 2014, Hyon appeared on North Korean television participating in the National Convention of Artists, disproving the rumors.

Hyon's biggest hit was the song "Excellent Horse-Like Lady" (Chosŏn'gŭl: 준마처녀; Hancha: 駿馬處女; RR: Junma Cheo'nyeo; MR: Chunma Ch'ŏnyŏ), a 2005 song extolling the virtues of a Stakhanovite textile factory worker. The accompanying music video stars Hyon in the role of the girl in the saddle of a steed, "dashing around a sparkling factory with a beatific smile, distributing bobbins and collecting swatches of cloth at top speed." The lyrics include:

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Wikipedia