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 on Monday.
The high profile appearance of Mr. Kim and his wife, former singer Ri Sol-ju, at the concert was unusual as his regime usually tries to prevent any infiltration of the South’s pop culture.
‘Deep thanks’
Mr. Kim, the first North Korean leader ever 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 reported.
“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,” KCNA said.
The visit by the South’s entertainers, seen as part of a cultural charm offensive by Seoul, comes as a diplomatic thaw gathers pace on the peninsula ahead of a landmark inter-Korean summit later this month.
Mr. 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 gave one concert on Sunday with another set for Tuesday.
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.
Abe to meet Trump
Meanwhile, the White House said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe April 17-18 to discuss Mr. Trump’s planned summit with Mr. Kim.
The two will meet at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida where they “will discuss the international campaign to maintain maximum pressure on North Korea”, the statement said.
Mr. Abe said he planned to ask Mr. Trump to discuss issues related to North Korea’s abduction of Japanese nationals.
