Mick Hartley

As predicted, the rumours surrounding Kim Jong-un's wife Ri Sol-ju and her former colleagues in the Unhasu Orchestra show no signs of abating:

Despite Pyongyang Broadcasting Station publicizing a performance by the Unhasu Orchestra entitled “Song of the Fatherland,” the rumor persists that not only were several orchestra members executed for appearing in a pornographic film, but that the entire group has since dissolved, the source conveys.

The source from Yangkang Province told Daily NK on the 21st, “The rumor is rife that pictures and video of Unhasu Orchestra members dancing naked have been sold overseas, and that the group has broken up. The rumor that those members involved in the pornographic movie were cruelly shot to death is also doing the rounds.”

“In order to put a complete stop to products born of the ‘capitalist wind,’ the ringleaders were dealt the severe punishment of execution. But those members who did not take a lead in the production of the pornographic material only have to serve three year sentences at the Manjongbo farm in Daehongdan County, Yangkang Province." 

Another source in Musan, North Hamkyung Province told Daily NK today that, “The rumor is going around that the orchestra members were shot to death, and this reminds many people of the Woo In Hee incident. Some reacted by saying, ‘Those people (the orchestra members) did a bad thing, believing that the Kim family would protect them.’”

Woo In Hee was a famous actor in the 1970s who was reportedly executed after her affair with Kim Jong Il was made public.

“Lately, at every People’s Unit and workplace it’s not hard to hear talk related to the Unhasu Orchestra. The heads of the People’s Units and the party cadres gave a gagging order, but the people’s interest still hasn’t dissipated,” the source added. 

It was also emphasized that, “People are very interested in any whiff of a sex scandal. These types of rumors spread faster than others, and once they get out they don’t easily disappear.”

Meanwhile, Ri Sol Ju has remained conspicuously absent from the public eye. Some experts believe this is to be a move by the North aimed at quelling the scandal that is now garnering increasing interest in both South Korea and Japan.

And let's not forget those other rumours: that Ri Sol-ju herself may have featured in some of these X-rated films – a possibility that certain South Korean groups were quick to exploit. 

Meanwhile ex-basketball superstar Dennis Rodman, after his second visit in September, has been talking about the luxury lifestyle of his friend Kim Jong-un:

Rodman said he spent seven days on Kim's private island, partying, jet skiing and horse riding and saw an array of big yachts there.

Even though millions of his oppressed subjects do not have enough to eat, Kim stints on nothing. "If you drink a bottle of tequila it's the best tequila," Rodman said. "Everything you want, he has the best."

"It's like going to Hawaii or Ibiza, but he's the only one that lives there," Rodman told the Sun. "He likes people to be happy around him."

"He's got 50 to 60 around him all the time — just normal people, drinking cocktails and laughing the whole time," he added.

Rodman may be a buffoon, but there's no reason to doubt what he says.