N. Korean leader using sports to bolster national image, leadership

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is taking advantage of sports as a means to bolster his leadership and the image of the reclusive country, a government report said Friday.

South Korea's unification ministry said in the report Kim has made 25 public appearances at various sports and athletic gatherings this year, showing active interest in large-scale construction projects.

The number of appearances marks a four-fold increase from six tallied for all of 2012.

The ministry said Pyongyang has been moved to build numerous sports facilities such as a roller skating rink, a bowling alley, a horse riding grounds and a ski resort as well as refurbishing several stadiums this year.

Earlier in the year, a new international training center for young football players was built in the capital city with funds provided by the global soccer governing body FIFA.

"In particular, Kim has been keen to see the completion of the Masik ski resort near Wonsan on the country's east coast despite obstacles like an inability to buy ski lifts from Switzerland,"

said a ministry official, who declined to be identified.

North Korea has said that work on Masik will be completed within the year.

The official added that on many occasions, Kim lauded the country's athletes for their achievements in overseas games and competitions, paying close attention to boosting the country's competitiveness in such fields as football, weightlifting and wrestling.

Related to the increase in interest and more resources being allocated to sports, the ministry official speculated that the young leader may be using sports to win support among young people, give the impression of dynamic leadership and show he cares about the well-being of citizens.

Kim, reportedly in his early 30s, took control of the country in late 2011 after the sudden death of his father Kim Jong-il.

"On the international front, the North may be using sports to lift the regime's often negative image and showoff its national capabilities to the rest of the world," he said.

The official said that Pyongyang has moved to expand bilateral exchange with foreign countries by using sports. It recently sent

14 young football players to a school in Barcelona and invited the Harlem Globetrotters to Pyongyang.

Besides these activities, the communist country has held marathons and bicycle tours to earn cash. In the Pyongyang marathon in April, the North charged participants US$1,350 for the four-day trip, while asking for $246 to enter the "Nordic ways" bicycle tour from China to Rason in September. (Yonhap News)