Defectors Reveal Harsh Life for North Korea’s Sports Ambassadors

The North Korean athletes and performers taking part in the Winter Olympics in South Korea are central to Kim Jong Un’s charm offensive against an international community worried over his nuclear ambitions.

But the accounts of those who once lived in North Korea suggest a hard life for the isolated country’s sports and entertainment ambassadors. During the Pyeongchang Games, we spoke with two defectors and a former South Korean spy familiar with preparations for international events. They paint a stark picture of control, punishment and even sexual slavery.