Kim ‘deeply moved’ by K-pop concert

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiled, clapped and said he was “deeply moved” by a rare performance by South Korean K-pop stars in Pyongyang, state media reported yesterday.

The high profile appearance of Kim and his wife, former singer Ri Sol Ju, at the concert was unusual as his authoritarian regime typically struggles to prevent any infiltration of the South’s pop culture among his isolated people.

Kim, the first North leader to attend a show by entertainers from the South, shook hands with the performers and “expressed his deep thanks to them”, the North’s official KCNA news agency said.

“He said that he was deeply moved to see our people sincerely acclaiming the performance, deepening the understanding of the popular art of the South’s side,” it said.

Kim said he was likely to be busy “because of his complicated political programme early in April,” so he was glad to make it to the concert which he credited with bringing the “spring of peace”.

The 120-member South Korean group – 11 musical acts as well as dancers, technicians and martial artists – gave one concert on Sunday with another set for today.

Kim and his wife were seen clapping their hands during the two-hour Sunday event, which was also attended by Kim’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, and the North’s ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam.

The concert at the elaborately decorated 1,500-seat East Pyongyang Grand Theatre ended with a standing ovation by the packed audience after a finale featuring all the stars singing a song about unification.

One of the most closely watched acts was Red Velvet, part of the South’s hugely popular K-pop phenomenon that has taken audiences in Asia and beyond by storm.

Even Jong Un acknowledged that there had been “so much interest in whether I’d come to see Red Velvet or not”.

The five-member girl band – known for its signature K-pop mix of upbeat electronic music and high-voltage choreography – performed two of their hits, Bad Boy and Red Flavour.

“The North’s audience applauded our performance much louder than we expected and even sang along to our songs ... it was a big relief,” band member Yeri told reporters.

Another member, Seulgi, appeared redeyed as she bid farewell to the audience at the end of the concert, apparently overcome with emotion. – AFP