North Korea’s Cheerleading Team Displayed Aloofness Towards Media After Asian Games Victory, With an Underlying Reason

As North Korean cheerleaders made their comeback on the global stage, their synchronized routines failed to raise eyebrows. Present at the Asian Games in Hangzhou this year, the usual pop and cheer was missing. The noticeable absence of the once-harmonious atmosphere meant the geopolitical frostbite had affected performance for the worse.

The collaboration between the North Korean cheerleading team with that of the South Korean team has often left fans mesmerized. However, frosty dynamics and subtle political undertones have unfortunately marked recent performances. 

North Korean cheerleaders expose changing inter-Korean relations

Tracing back to the history of the cheerleading squad of North Korea, they played the role of propagandists on the international stage. As reported by NHK World Japan, they captivated the attention of the global audience with their synchronized performance. It was only in 2000, after the first inter-Korean summit, that the country deployed the cheerleading squad. 

The squad mostly comprises female members, with their stunts always in harmony. They promote the regime overseas through their well-choreographed displays of support. It was in the 2018 Asian Games that North and South Korea exhibited a rare display of unity parading together.  

However, in 2023 the amity between the two nations disappeared. Instead, they labeled the South Korean cheerleaders as “puppets,” setting a chilly tone. The animosity wasn’t limited to the cheerleaders either.

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Besides the cheerleading squad, in the men’s judo match, a North Korean athlete rejected a handshake from a South Korean opponent. Not only that but during a shooting competition, the North Koreans turned away from the South Korean flag. It was a blatant display of departure from the cooperative spirit. 

Media ignorance exposed the aloofness of the propagandist cheerleading squad

Besides their aloofness with South Korea, the cheerleaders and the athletes of North Korea also maintained their distance from the media. The squad over the years has evolved to be the flagbearer of the North’s propaganda. However, this year, they were less open to the media, with apparent strict instructions not to engage in any interactions.

Other than that, according to some reports, the members of the cheerleading squad were chosen within China. Previously, the team also had a direct connection to the regime that includes ties with Ri Sol Ju, Kim Jong Un’s wife. During the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics which was held in South Korea, the squad went viral. Everyone wore a mask of an unknown man who held a resemblance with the young President Kim II Sung, the founder figure of North Korea.    

The diplomatic snubs resulted in a modified cheerleading squad holding on to the essence of the shift in North Korean approach towards international events. It is the sporting arena that serves as a microcosm of broader geopolitical complexities that the country has with other nations. 

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