Defector: "North Korea's Kim Jong-un selects 25 Gippeumjo members annually"

Visiting Schools to Select Candidates... Verifying Family Status and More

A North Korean defector woman claimed that Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, is selecting 'Gippeumjo' (Joy Squads) just like his father Kim Jong-il did.

Recently, the British Mirror reported an article titled "Kim Jong-un selects 25 virgins every year."

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea (left), North Korean defector Park Yeon-mi (right). [Source=Yonhap News, YouTube capture]

Based on the claims of defector Park Yeon-mi, the Mirror introduced when the Gippeumjo first appeared and what kind of women are selected.

Park, who escaped from North Korea at a young age, said that the Gippeumjo are selected based on attractiveness and political loyalty. She claimed that she was twice a candidate for the Gippeumjo but was not selected due to her family's status.

She explained that officials visit classrooms and playgrounds to check candidates, saying, "When they find a pretty girl, the first thing they check is the family's status and political standing," adding, "Girls from families who have escaped North Korea or have relatives in South Korea or other countries are not selected."

Moranbong Band performing at the Arts Theater in Hyesan City, Yanggang Province on April 9, 2014.
[Photo by Korean Central News Agency]

Park continued, "The selection process for the Gippeumjo involves strict investigations including health examinations, and even minor defects like small wounds can be grounds for disqualification."

Park revealed that the Gippeumjo was first devised by Kim Jong-il in the 1970s, starting with selecting a few pretty women to take to the resorts visited by his father Kim Il-sung. Later, Kim Jong-il established a second Gippeumjo for himself in 1983.

She said, "The preferences of the three men differed, so the team compositions were different," explaining, "Kim Jong-il preferred women who were short, over 160cm but not too tall, while Chairman Kim Jong-un prefers slim and Western-looking women."

Park claimed that the Gippeumjo is composed of three groups. The group responsible for performances is the 'Moranbong Band,' which also appears at official events.

Park said becoming a Gippeumjo was a means to escape hunger, and that women in their mid-20s usually leave the team and marry the leader's bodyguards.

She said, "Learning how to please men is the only goal," adding, "Attractive girls serve Chairman Kim, while other girls take on roles satisfying generals and politicians."

Although Park's descriptions of life in North Korea have been criticized as exaggerated, she claimed that the Kim family are "pedophiles who expect to be worshipped as gods."