FIVE THINGS ABOUT KIM AND K-POP

1 WHAT WAS THIS?

Kim Jong Un and wife Ri Sol Ju attended a rare performance by South Korean K-pop singers Sunday at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre. The K-pop visit is a reciprocal act of diplomacy after the North sent the Samjiyon Orchestra and its cheerleading squad to the Olympics. 2 WHY IS IT SIGNIFICANT? The concert, the first visit by South Korean artists to the North Korean capital in over a decade, has been touted as another gesture of reconciliation before a summit between the leaders of the divided Korean Peninsula on April 27. Kim has now agreed to meetings with Moon Jae-in, the South Korean president, and U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss denuclearization.

3 WHO PERFORMED?

The concert included 11 K-pop singers and bands from a variety of genres, ranging from traditional folksongs to modern K-pop, with Seohyun, a 26-year-old singer from Girls Generation, a mega-band, acting as master of ceremony. Centre stage was Red Velvet, the chart-topping girl band. Other artists included Cho Yong-pil, the influential 68-yearold “King” of K-pop.

4 HOW WAS IT RECEIVED

Kim was seen clapping in time to some of the songs and later took pictures with performers.

5 WHY HOLD IT NOW?

The performance overshadowed the start of annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S., traditionally a source of tension with the North. The drills, postponed by a month to avoid disrupting the February Games in Seoul, have been toned down this year to reflect a diplomatic detente.