K-Pop Diplomacy: Kim Jong Un's Surprise Concert Visit a Ploy to End Sanctions?
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un made a surprise visit to a concert of South Korean pop stars who were visiting the country on Sunday.
The concert, titled "Spring is Coming," took place on Sunday evening local time at the 1,500-seat East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, said South Korean media.
Video footage showed the North Korean dictator and his wife applauding from a second-floor VIP balcony. After the show, he took a group photo with the pop stars and said he was "deeply moved" by their performance.
The South Korean performers plan to hold a joint performance with the North Koreans Tuesday. The concert highlights the thawing of relations between the two countries. More than 11 acts are participating in the two shows.
Before Sunday's show, South Korea last sent a pop singer to North Korea in 2005. Kim's appearance marked the first time a North Korean leader attended a show performed by an artistic group from the South, according to Yonhap, South Korean's official news agency.
Kim will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in for talks on April 27. He also agreed to meet with President Donald Trump, although no date has been set for that meeting.
The concert and upcoming summits highlight thawing ties between the two countries, but some caution Kim may be trying to weaken international sanctions and buy time to advance his nuclear bomb program.
Meanwhile, the US and the South Korean military are conducting military exercises as scheduled. The war games have been scaled back this year in preparation for the talks with North Korea and will be shorter in duration than in previous years.
