The
North Korean authorities have finished selecting the members of the cheering
squad that will support the country’s athletes at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea this September. Although doubts surround
North Korea’s involvement in the Asian Games due to an ongoing inter-Korean
spat over the conditions of their participation, the training of the squad is
now underway.
A
Pyongyang source told Daily NK on July 24th, “They say that working-level
contacts with South Korea are not going well, but the cheering squad is still
meeting daily at Pyongyang Indoor Gymnasium to practice their cheering
routines.” She added, “Practices are running from early in the morning to late
at night.”
According
to the source, the cheering squad has been picked from candidates drawn from
Geumseong Hakwon in Pyongyang and also specialist art schools nationwide. No news
has yet been issued regarding the size of the squad; this is unsurprising, since
scale is one of the sticking points in negotiations with the South Korean
side.
The
cheering squad of 288 sent to the 2002 Busan Asian Games was limited to
women in their twenties from Geumseong Hakwon, Pyongyang University of Music
and Dance, and
other institutions in the art sector within the capital.
The
source explained, “Generally, members of the cheering squad must practice until
every dance routine and movement coordinates flawlessly,” adding, “If one
motion goes wrong they repeat it again dozens of times; combine this with the
hot weather and some of the girls end up utterly exhausted.”
This
strong emphasis on seamless simultaneous performance is widely interpreted as
an effort to reflect the monolithic unity of the North Korean people. In
addition, however, the attention it attracts in South Korea provides a channel for North
Korea to put forward its claim to moral superiority on the Korean Peninsula.
According
to the Daily NK source, members are selected exclusively from the arts field
principally to ensure that they have the ability to carry off the role well.
However, poorer girls within the field are sure to be passed over in favour of
the kin of powerful, affluent figures. The source elaborated that this is because
the offspring of affluent households won’t be surprised or attracted by the
wealth and development of South Korea.
“Woven into the mix will be a number of people from the secret police,” our
source reported, going on, “For every three members, one is going to be a spy
from the Department [Ministry] of State Security. They perform all the same
training routines and dress very much the part.”
This
is possible, she explained, because “In cases where participants come from the
same school, the state intentionally separates them to maintain security.”
The
cheering squad’s daily routine invariably follows a pattern. The end of daytime training carries on into night lecture sessions on conduct while in South Korea.
“Cheering
squad recruits receive training on everything from their walk to how to eat
properly,” the source alleged. “The trainers order their recruits to ‘Set the
spoon and chopsticks evenly on the table’ and ‘Refrain from smacking your lips
while eating,’ all complete with simulations to ensure perfection.”
She
reported, “They even teach them how to wave properly so as not to come off
awkwardly to other people. They are instructed prepare their responses to
questions in advance, but laugh while answering to avoid appearing too
rehearsed.”
According
to a report by KCNA on July 20th, Kim Jong Eun stated, “The participation of
the (North)’s players in the 17th Asian Games offers an important occasion to
improve relations between the North and the South and remove the distrust
between them.” Following suit on July 23rd, during official talks a
spokesperson for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland
reiterated the intention to send the cheering squad.
However, a senior defector
expressed grave doubts over North Korea’s motivation. “North Korea disseminates
domestic propaganda about how Kim Jong Eun, with his great generosity, wants to
ease inter-Korean relations by having us participate in this competition,” he
said. “The North manipulated the working-level talks to appear as though they
are dedicated to working out the issues at hand.”
