The Winter Olympics 2018 came to an end and not other than the sports, the North-Korea cheerleaders became the mainstream media’s darlings. There has been much coverage about this “army of beauties” who cheered, danced and sang in perfect unison. But a former military musician revealed the dark side of the fancy show. The North Korean cheerleaders at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang are used as sex slaves by top politicians, the defector has claimed. The 42-year-old, Lee So-yeon, was a military musician who fled to South Korea in 2008. She told Bloomberg Politics, that the cheer squads outside their public duties are expected to provide sexual services irrespective of their will.

She was quoted saying, “It might seem like a fancy show on the outside. However, they also have to go to parties and provide sexual services, that sort of pain also follows. They go to the central Politburo party’s events, and have to sleep with people there, even if they don’t want to.” She further confirmed that the women have to follow what they are told to do with their bodies. And the dominance does not end here! The Bloomberg report described athletes who took part in the games as “slaves”. Lee’s claims tie into another defector’s report.

A 54-year-old skier Kim Hyunk-soo who competed in the North Korean national league was defected to South Korea in 2009 with his son. He told, “In one word, athletes are Kim Jong Un’s sports “slaves.” Even the coaches are slaves to Kim Jong Un, and to the North Korean regime. Because in North Korea, Kim Jong Un and the regime is the entire world. The athletes and the cheerleaders, too. They are all Kim Jong Un and North Korea’s slaves.” Few media reports have also discovered that the women in the squad are constantly under surveillance and are forbidden to interact with anyone other than their male guards.

Han Seo-hee, a former cheerleader told BBC how the women are handpicked for their good looks and had to undergo three months of ideological training prior to the Olympic games to ensure their loyalty to the administration. The North Korean cheers are an amazing spectacle, but such reports of a criminal regime are heartbreaking.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 27, 2018 02:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).