‘They are like the military, I pity them’: North Korean cheerleaders highlight the deep divide between neighbours
The cheerleaders are under tight surveillance from their Northern escorts, always moving in groups in the presence of a minder and rarely conversing with South Koreans
North Korea’s red-clad “army of beauties” cheerleaders are a key weapon in Pyongyang’s arsenal for its Winter Olympics charm offensive – but to some Southerners they illustrate the cultural divide across the demilitarised zone.
The 200-strong group – all in their late teens or early 20s and said to be hand-picked from elite universities after strict background checks – chant “Cheer up” at events, clap and wave in unison, and sing traditional songs.
The Koreas’ separation – which dates back nearly seven decades during which the two countries have followed radically different paths – makes citizens of the North an object of some fascination for South Koreans.
“They look just like us,” said Kim Mi-hyun, 59, as the young North Koreans walked by in a neat double line on an excursion to a beach in Gangneung, the east coast city where the Winter Games ice events are being held. “Looking at them makes me yearn for reunification.”
Others were struck by their chunky trainers and white woolly hats.
“They look like Koreans from a long time ago,” said 30-year-old Lee Jung-hoon.
Younger South Koreans tend to be more wary of the North having spent their adult lives in a culturally vibrant democracy regularly menaced and occasionally attacked by Pyongyang, which stands accused of widespread human rights abuses.