FIVE THINGS ABOUT K-POP DIPLOMACY IN NORTH KOREA.
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.