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.”