Kim Jong-Un and his “Pleasure Squad”

The North Koreans are in the news again. I refer not to them testing a hydrogen bomb or sending another missile over the East Sea or hacking computers in South Korea and the USA or putting the clamps on desperate would-be refugees or sucking up to virtually their only supporter—China—or selling nuclear technology to other rogue regimes or expansion of their gulag or running a highly profitable counterfeiting operation in “Office No. 39” in Pyongyang or how so many of them are on the verge of starving. (According to the United Nations, 70% of the country’s people are “food insecure.” [How’s that for a euphemism?] Kim Jong-Un, by contrast, gorges daily on Kobe steak, Cristal champagne, sushi, caviar, shark fin soup and Emmental cheese, delivered in bulk from Switzerland.)

His needs must be met

My reference is instead to Kim’s decision to bring back the so-called Pleasure Squad: young women (young indeed, some just 13) who are recruited from all over the country. Their job, after a period of intense training and indoctrination, is to demonstrate their feminine charms to Kim and his cronies at the top of the DPRK government, and a few visiting foreign dignitaries. I say he re-instated it because it was disbanded in 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong-Il. There was a three-year mourning period, during which Kim was consolidating his power—a purge here, a purge there, public and private executions—and getting used to his role as leader of the most isolated nation on earth. In fact, he feared that the women who had entertained his father knew too many state secrets.

But apparently he could not resist the temptation. The idea of a troupe of young hotties appealed to the tubby dictator, and who could say no? Since 2014, a number of men, usually members of the army, have periodically gone in search of the most beautiful young women. Pretty is important, but height is another consideration; short girls do not qualify. Selection as a member of the Gippeumjo is presented as a great honor! The young woman’s family receives a financial boost, and she is among this select group. Just being in Kim’s presence is enough to make most people dissolve into tears. I do not pretend to understand the North Korean mentality, but it seems that no persuasion or coercion is necessary since making the big boy happy is perceived as patriotic or a heavenly mandate.

Singing, dancing and much more

The 200-member Pleasure Squad is divided into three parts: gamujo, which sings and dances, sometimes half-naked; haengbokjo, which gives massages; and manjokjo, which provides sexual services to Kim et al. These women retire as early as age 22. They sign a pledge of secrecy and are given a sum of about $4,000 before returning to their respective hometowns. Some, however, marry members of North Korea’s elite.

Kim Il-Sung, a.k.a. “the Great Leader,” started the Gippeumjo. As we have seen, it’s been maintained by his son and grandson except for that three-year hiatus. In fact, a similar entity existed for much of the Joseon dynasty. Palace women were called gungnyeo, and they did everything from emptying chamber pots to cooking to sewing to calligraphy to taking care of royal brats to serving as concubines. The difference is only a matter of degree.

Happy, happy girls

In researching this piece, I saw numerous photos of Kim Jong-Un surrounded by young women. Most are in clear emotional distress, laughing and crying simultaneously. He wears a big grin, and the girls are often holding onto his arms and clasping his hands. Now this is a significant contrast with his father; Kim Jong-Il was nothing if not dour. For that matter, I have seen pictures of Kim the younger with top military guys—medals all the way down to their waists—hugging him and beaming joyously. No wonder they’re happy. The generals, as long as they toe the line, clap loudly in affirmation of his every pronouncement and take copious notes, have comfy lives. They reside in nice homes, have chauffeur-driven Benzes and eat well.

Their welfare is of no consequence to me. My focus is the women who comprise the Gippeumjo. Young, powerless, poorly educated and cut off from the rest of the world, they cannot understand just how fraudulent the DPRK government is, and how they are being abused and even debased by Kim. I deplore what is done to them and believe the time is coming when the evils of this regime will be fully exposed. People will wonder, Why did we let it go on for more than 70 years?