Kim Il-sung's 'handsome face' haunts South Koreans amid PyeongChang festivities

North Korean cheerleaders wearing masks as they perform during the women's preliminary round ice hockey match between the unified Korea team and Switzerland at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung. – AFP

PYEONGCHANG: It has been 24 years since North Korean founder Kim Il-sung died, but the face of the man who started the reclusive regime has sparked furore among Koreans with a "Kim Il-sung mask" controversy.

The unified Korean women's hockey team – the first unified Korean team in the Olympics – faced Switzerland in a well-fought, but ultimately defeated, match. During the game, the group of supporters from North Korea were seen cheering the unified team while wearing a mask of a young man.