Bo-eun leads the digital content team. She has covered foreign affairs, North Korea, tech, economy and gender issues at The Korea Times. She did a short stint at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, where she obtained a new perspective on news production and life. Small sources of joy for her are lounging in the sun, having a good latte and swimming.
Spiffy NK attendants grace magazine cover
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The September issue of North Korea's state publication named “Chosun.” / Yonhap
By Kim Bo-eun
Sharply dressed and with shining smiles, stewardesses of North Korea's flag carrier Air Koryo grace the cover of the state’s monthly publication.
Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday that the cover of the September issue of“Chosun” shows five flight attendants, dressed in dark navy uniforms and wearing badges of late leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, walking and carrying suitcases at Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport.
Clad in short skirts and black pumps, the stewardesses look much the same as flight attendants on other airlines.
Their smart uniforms are part of the Kim Jong-un administration's efforts to improve airline service to boost tourism, Yonhap reported.
In July 2012, the North Korean leader ordered the airline to change the flight attendants’ uniforms "to adhere do the demands of the new century" and also to improve the quality of airline meals.
Air Koryo discarded the former dowdy red uniforms in 2013, and changed flight meals from burgers to gimbap, or dried seaweed rolls.
Sunan Airport also got a facelift.
The publication said the airport "is a landmark creation that is fully furbished as an international airport."
However, Air Koryo was ranked the world's worst carrier in U.K.-based airline and airport consulting firm Skytrax’s ranking of 681 airlines.
In seven out of 10 categories assessing product and services, it got a mere one star in categories such as age of aircraft and website accessibility.
The airline got three stars for staff grooming and presentation.