Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh entertain Kim Jong-un Other characters that featured included Minnie Mouse and Tigger as they danced with footage from "Snow White," "Dumbo," "Beauty and the Beast" on a massive backdrop. The inclusion of characters popular in the West - particularly from the United States, North Korea's wartime enemy - is a notable change in direction for performances in Pyongyang. Actors and actresses also showed off new wardrobes, including strapless gowns and little black dresses. In recent years, performances such as the "Arirang" mass games featured performers dressed as panda bears in homage to North Korean ally China. This appears to be the first time Disney characters have been included in a major performance, though Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse have been popular among children for several years. Backpacks, pencil cases and pyjamas imported from China often feature Disney characters, and stories such as "Dumbo" have been translated into Korean for North Korean schoolchildren. However, it is unusual to make such images a central part of a North Korean performance and to publicise it on state TV. It was unclear whether the Disney characters were officially licensed.