Yes, I understand that they have a privileged life in comparison to their other comrades in the capitol, and those further out…yes I’ve read Nothing To Envy, I know they are stupid but kept ignorant. How do you go to a place like Paris, and see all this infrastructure, the ceremony, other races, homosexuals, then go home, surrender your medal to the Leader (or some party official) and keep your mouth shut about everything you saw.
If you’re a big believer going to the games has to be a LARGE test of your faith in Juche, even if you have cardboard beds in the athlete dorms.
To be fair, China does prop up NK as a state and the main reason they do that is to have a buffer between the Chinese border and the Americans since the Korean War. If they just let NK fall to the west, the Americans would have troops/bases stationed right by China.