Banners welcome North Korean cheerleaders at the entrance of a hotel in Inje. [Yonhap News Photto]
SEOUL, Feb. 06 (Aju News) -- North Korea will send a 229-member cheering squad to South Korea this week for a charm offensive following an inter-Korean thaw brought by the North's abrupt and strategic decision to take part in the Winter Olympics.
A 280-member delegation led by North Korea's Olympic Committee President and sports minister Kim Il-guk will cross the border on Wednesday, the South's unification ministry said, adding the delegation includes four sports officials, 229 cheerleaders, 26 martial arts demonstrators and 21 journalists.
Dubbed "an army of beauties", North Korean cheerleaders, mostly in their 20s, often received widespread attention and media coverage when they sing and dance in the stands. Defectors say North Korea handpicks young cheerleaders with good ideological and family background.
The cheerleaders made their first appearance at the 2002 Asian Games in the southern port of Busan, followed by the second squad at the 2003 Summer Universiade in Daegu. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's wife, Ri Sol-Ju, was among the cheering squad at the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships in Incheon.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
