The Slick PR Stylings of Kim Jong Un
North Korea's new leader seems to have a thing for "global trends" and Disney. Does that presage Pyongyang's opening to the West?
BY ISAAC STONE FISH, ADAM CATHCART | JULY 11, 2012
On July 9, North Korean state television aired a segment of photographs featuring Disney characters clowning around on stage, with an ebullient President Kim Jong Un clapping in the audience. In a country known for its antipathy towards the United States, it shocked observers of North Korea that state TV chose to air some of the most recognizable American icons. More striking than the unauthorized use of Mickey Mouse, however, are the women featured in the performance. One violinist wears a black cocktail dress that goes above her knees; others sing in strapless dresses. In 2009, South Korean media released a DVD meant for internal North Korean Party consumption showing scantily clad North Korean dancers, but it's almost unheard of for women in Pyongyang to show their shoulders publicly, outside of a gymnastics outfit. Even more shockingly for a country so proud of its individuality, the photos of the women in front of Disney characters present a scene that could be any country in East Asia. (Click on the link above for the full story.)
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