Kim Jong-un’s sister Kim Yo-jong appears in public amid rumours of purged officials after failed Hanoi summit
- South Korean newspaper reported Kim Jong-un had ordered his sister to lay low following the collapse of his summit with Donald Trump in February
- However, her appearance at the Mass Games, an elaborate propaganda display featuring tens of thousands of performers, tells a different tale
Tens of thousands of performers took part in a stunning gymnastics show on Monday night in Pyongyang as North Korea’s spectacular “Mass Games” propaganda displays began their 2019 run.
Following rehearsals over several months, vast numbers of people in colourful costumes took part in a precision synchronised performance, portraying moments from Korean history and modern life.
The official Korean Central News Agency said the performers on Monday showed “beautiful and graceful rhythmic movements, high-spirited gymnastics, interesting national emotion and rich artistic depiction,” but also that Kim Jong-un was quite unhappy about their display. He seriously criticised the creators for their “wrong spirit of creation and irresponsible work attitude” and set forth “important tasks” to correctly implement the country’s revolutionary policy on literature and art, the agency said.
Guinness World Records lists a 2007 performance of a previous version of the Mass Games, known as Arirang, as the world’s largest gymnastic display, with 100,090 participants.
State media often reports on Kim scolding factory officials, educators and others perceived as not performing to his standards. The mass games events were once routine in North Korea but were on hiatus for several years during the mourning for Kim’s father and only returned last year.