Angry S. Koreans burn Kim photo

Activists protest visit of North girl band head Hyon

Seoul, Jan. 22: Conservative South Korean activists burned a large photo of North Korean leader Kim Jongun as the head of the North’s extremely popular girl band passed them today during a visit to Seoul amid a flurry of cooperation agreements between the rivals ahead of next month’s Winter Olympics in the South.

Hyon Song- wol, a North Korean celebrity who heads Kim’s hand- picked Moranbong Band, began a two- day visit on Sunday, triggering media frenzy in South Korea about Hyon, who is also in charge of the North’s artistic performances during the Olympics.

It has been rare for such a high- profile North Korean to travel to South Korea in recent years as bilateral ties deteriorated over North Korea’s nuclear programme before the nations abruptly began seeking to improve relations this month ahead of the

February 9- 25 Olympics.

After her visits to potential venues for North Korean performances in an eastern city, Hyon arrived back on Monday at the Seoul railway station where she saw about 150 to 200 activists protesting her visit and recent interKorean rapprochement deals. Ms Hyon saw the activists but did not react. After she left the area, the demonstrators used a blowtorch to burn Kim’s photo, a North Korean flag and a “unification flag” that athletes of the rival Koreas plan to carry together during the opening ceremony of the Olympics.