For the first time in over a decade, South Korea has announced it will send more than 150 musicians, including K-pop superstars Red Velvet and singers Cho Yong-Pil and Lee Sun-hee, to perform in North Korea, The Guardian report.
The visit will take place between March 31 and April 3 and will include a series of concerts at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre and the Ryukyung Chung Ju Yung Gymnasium. Details were agreed upon during negotiations between the two countries held in the border area of Panmunjom. It’s a reciprocal gesture after North Korea sent an envoy of performers to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
After Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently announced his intention of improving ties between the North and South Korea, the announcement hopefully indicates a possible alleviation of the conflict between the two countries.
Yoon Sang, the singer and record producer who led South Korea’s delegation at the talks, said, “While we’re on the stage, I believe it will be difficult to portray personal feelings towards denuclearisation. Our first task will be to instill the same awe in North Korean audiences as we do our South Korean ones, and make sure nothing is awkward.”
Revisit our interview with Red Velvet here and watch their “Russian Roulette” music video below. To know what it’s like to perform a concert in North Korea, read our interview with the director of Liberation Day, a documentary about the first western band to play North Korea.