Traffic Girl exerpt - from the book "A Year In Pyongyang"

I found the following topic on this site http://www.korea-dpr.com/cgi-bin/simpleforum.cgi before it was deleted

The English author of “ A Year In Pyongyang” (Andrew Holloway) was somewhat taken by Pyongyang’s girl traffic police. Read what he had to say about them:

Quote: “ A particular source of fascination and Pyongyang’s number one tourist attraction was the traffic conductresses in their gorgeous kingfisher blue uniforms (except in summer, when they exchange their blue tunics for white). There are male traffic conductors as well, but they are far outnumbered by the female of the species and are far less interesting. These invariably stunning-looking girls stand in the middle of the road at every major junction and imperiously direct the traffic rotating with stylised movements like well-drilled guardsmen and pointing with their red and white striped batons, like miniature barber’s poles, that turn luminous at night. It may be that this occupation carries high prestige. It is fairly obvious that they are selected partly for their good looks and physical grace. For whatever reason, these young women seemed to have taken the great leader’s dictum about adopting the attitude of masters of society more to heart than any other distinguishable group of workers. Even away from their posts, they stride the pavements of Pyongyang with all the poise and assurances of millionairesses in Knightsbridge. “ Unquote.

I am sure the sentiments expressed by Andrew Holloway reflect the feelings of all of us who have been privileged to watch these young ladies in action. It will be a sad day when they are finally made redundant.

You can read all 23 chapters of the book "A Year In Pyongyang" here http://www.aidanfc.net/a_year_in_pyongyang_1.html

I can see why the post was deleted from that North Korea forum - the book paints a rather unflattering portrait of life in the DPRK, and that forum is way out there in its pro-DPRK anti-US imperialism fervor.

I found the book here too - downloadable. the Trafficgirl part is on page 63.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/247155/A-Year-in-Pyongyang