NoKor leader ‘deeply moved’ by K-pop concert
SEOUL (AP) — North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un clapped his hands and said he was “deeply moved” as he, along with his wife and hundreds of other citizens, watched a rare performance by South Korean pop stars visiting Pyongyang.
The concert highlights the thawing ties between the rivals after years of friction over the North’s nuclear program.
During Sunday’s performance at the packed 1,500-seat East Pyongyang Grand Theater, North Korean concertgoers — most of the men in dark suits but some women in colorful traditional “hanbok” dresses — waved their hands from their seats when the South Korean stars joined together to sing a popular Korean song, “Our wish is unification.”
After the two-hour performance ended, the North Koreans gave a thundering standing ovation.
A South Korean artistic group, including some pop legends and the popular girl band Red Velvet, flew to Pyongyang over the weekend for two performances in the North Korean capital, one on Sunday and the other yesterday.
How North Koreans would react to Red Velvet was a focus of keen media attention in South Korea.
Kim, wearing a dark Mao-style suit, made a surprise visit to the performance with his wife Ri Sol Ju, sister Kim Yojong and other senior North Korean officials, including nominal head of state Kim Yong-nam.
Kim Jong-un applauded during the event and shook hands with the South Korean performers.