'I had to strip and turn around': North Korean defector recalls humiliating 'Pleasure Squad' screening

Kim Seo-a, a North Korean defector and broadcaster, has spoken out about being selected as a candidate for North Korea's "Pleasure Squad" — a group of women who serve the ruling family — and subjected to invasive physical examinations, saying she felt "immense shame."

On July 2, Kim posted a short video titled "Have You Been to North Korea's Pleasure Squad?" on her YouTube channel, Kim Seo-a TV, which has 220,000 subscribers.

"I was selected from a young age to potentially join the Pleasure Squad and was always being evaluated," she said. "I was first chosen at age 11 and underwent related examinations, and when I turned 17, I was summoned by the Central Committee and went through multiple rounds of screening."

Kim said she visited a hospital reserved for senior officials, where she underwent a virginity test and gynecological examination to verify she had no sexual experience. "Ten women stood in a line, and five men came in and instructed us to lift our tops," she said.

She added that the women were then required to remove their lower garments and underwear entirely and turn to face front and back so the men could inspect their bodies. "The fact that I was not alone was at least some comfort, but looking back now, it was an incredibly humiliating moment," she said.

Kim said she was not ultimately selected. "If I had been chosen back then, I wonder whether I would have been able to defect and live freely the way I do now," she said.

In a separate short video titled "The Story of How I Was Rejected from the Pleasure Squad," Kim said candidates are evaluated not only on their appearance but also on strict physical criteria — including a minimum height of 165 centimeters — and are checked thoroughly for any scars on their bodies.

On how North Korean parents react when their daughters are selected for the Pleasure Squad, Kim said opinions are roughly split. "Some parents are happy, seeing it as a path to success and advancement," she said. "But others worry and feel anxious knowing they may not see their daughter for around 10 years."

Meanwhile, North Korea's Pleasure Squad is believed to serve the supreme leader and the Kim family in a range of roles, including singing, dancing and managing private villas.