Winter Olympics: Kim Jong-un’s ‘army of beauties’, sexism, propaganda and the divergence of two Koreas

Winter Olympics: Kim Jong-un’s ‘army of beauties’, sexism, propaganda and the divergence of two Koreas

Decked out in scarlet tracksuits and woolly hats, North Korea’s chirpy, but robotically synchronised cheerleaders made a vigorous debut over the weekend at the much-anticipated first game of the joint-Korean women’s ice hockey team.

Nearing the end of her whirlwind round of inter-Korean diplomacy, Kim Jong-un’s younger sister, Yo-jong – arguably the star attraction of the Winter Olympics so far – enjoyed the spectacle from the stands. As she finally departed from Seoul at 10:24pm on Sunday, she left behind the regime’s so-called “army of beauties” to continue Pyongyang’s charm offensive in the South.

While Pyongyang’s last-minute decision to participate in the Olympics was a surprise, its demand…

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