Hyon Song Wol is currently the lead singer of the Moranbong Band and leader of the Samjiyon Orchestra. She is a member of the party's standing committee. She led talks concerning cultural exchanges and performances of the North Korean musical groups in connection with the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea in early 2018. Hyon is said to be Kim Jong Un's former girlfriend. (In August 2013, US media reported based upon a story in the South Korean Chosun Ilbo, that Hyon Song Wol was executed by machine gun fire in front of other members of the North Korean arts group.) Kim's wife Ri Sol Ju apparently did not accompanying the delegation to Hanoi and has not been observed with the delegation thus far.
When the train stopped for about a half an hour this morning at approximately 2am local time, at the Ping Tian railway station in China, Kim was observed smoking a cigarette with his sister Kim Yo Jong holding an ashtray for him. Hyon Song Wol was also seen on the platform waiting. When the train later in the morning arrived at the Dong Dang station in North Vietnam, Kim Jong Un left the train and got into his bullet proof Mercedes limo, which apparently had been brought to the station from Hanoi by his security team. There was a modest honor guard and red carpet at the station and Kim greeted the local dignitaries briefly while getting directly into his car.
In some interesting JTBC video, Kim Yo Jong, Kim's sister was observed getting out of the train first at Dong Dang station to check the reception arrangements. She had some difficulty negotiating the ramp in high heels and then returned inside the train after viewing the receiving line. Later after Kim made his state entrance, followed by other DPRK dignitaries including vice chairman Kim Yong Chol, Kim Yo Jong again got out of train and pushed aside Kim Yong Chol to again get in front of the delegation and reconnoiter conditions on the street. It looked like she got into the Mercedes limo with Kim to make the 170 km trip to Hanoi.
JTBC has reported that after arrival at Dong Dang, Vietnam station, in Lang Son, the train returned to Ping Tian China for security and logistical purposes. The total distance to Pyongyang from Ping Tian is said to be 4500 km. The Chinese government is estimated to have mobilized as many as 90,000 police and military personnel to safeguard the security of the route within China. The movements of the Kim official train are believed to have caused major inconveniences to ordinary Chinese travelers and commuters and are estimated to reflect a high degree of Chinese commitment to the security of the North Korean state. The train itself was being pulled by a Chinese locomotive. Security at Lang Son will also be tight until March 2 according to local reports.
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