Song Hye-rim
Encyclopedia
Song Hye-rim was a North Korea
n actress and one-time favored mistress of Kim Jong-il
. She was born in present-day South Korea
, in Changnyeong
, South Gyeongsang.
Song began dating Kim Jong-il in 1968, after divorcing her first husband; she is believed to have been his first mistress. In 1971, she gave birth to Kim Jong-nam
, who at one time was believed to be favored to succeed Kim Jong-il. The birth of this son is said to have been kept secret from Kim Il-sung
until 1975.
Beginning in the early 1980s Song travelled to Moscow frequently for medical care. In 1996 Song was reported to have defected to the west, but intelligence officials in South Korea denied the story. She is reported to have died on May 18, 2002. Some reports say she died in Moscow.
Many accounts of Song are drawn from the memoirs of her sister, Song Hye-rang
.
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n actress and one-time favored mistress of Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
. She was born in present-day South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, in Changnyeong
Changnyeong
Changnyeong County is a county in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.In the early Three Kingdoms period, Changnyeong was the seat of Bihwa Gaya, a member of the Gaya confederacy which was later conquered by Silla....
, South Gyeongsang.
Biography
Song entered Pyongyang Movie College in 1955, but left the following year to give birth to a daughter. She later re-enrolled and graduated, having her film debut in 1960. She became a popular actress in the 1960s, appearing in movies including Onjŏngryŏng (온정령) and Baek Il-hong (백일홍).Song began dating Kim Jong-il in 1968, after divorcing her first husband; she is believed to have been his first mistress. In 1971, she gave birth to Kim Jong-nam
Kim Jong-nam
Kim Jong-nam , is the eldest son of Kim Jong-Il, ruler of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. From roughly 1998 to 2001, he was widely considered to be the heir-apparent to his father and the next leader of North Korea...
, who at one time was believed to be favored to succeed Kim Jong-il. The birth of this son is said to have been kept secret from Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
until 1975.
Beginning in the early 1980s Song travelled to Moscow frequently for medical care. In 1996 Song was reported to have defected to the west, but intelligence officials in South Korea denied the story. She is reported to have died on May 18, 2002. Some reports say she died in Moscow.
Many accounts of Song are drawn from the memoirs of her sister, Song Hye-rang
Song Hye-rang
Song Hye-rang is a North Korean defector and author. Her father was a wealthy South Korean landowner who moved to the north for political reasons, while her mother was an editor of the official North Korean newspaper Rodong Shinmun...
.