“Clearly it is not a perspective shared by North Korea”, he said.
Advertisement
As North Korea prepares for a historic party conference in May of 2016, Kim Jong-un must grasp and resolve the contradiction between his conception of the conditions for North Korea’s survival and his neighbors’ conceptions of the conditions for North Korea’s prosperity. What better soft culture ambassadors could there be for as regime seen by many around the world as one of the most oppressive and brutal on the planet?
Media reports said the group, formed by Mr Kim in 2012, left the Chinese capital on Saturday.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency speculated Pyongyang had pulled the plug because China had downgraded the ranking of its delegation in protest over Kim Jong-un’s recent suggestion that the North possesses a hydrogen bomb. “China pays great attention to cultural exchanges with North Korea and is willing, along with North Korea, to keeping pushing cooperation forward on all levels, including cultural exchanges”, Mr Hong said, without elaborating.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman reportedly had confirmed that the performances were aimed at improving ties between China and North Korea.
North Korea held a conference of its financial and banking officials for the first time since 1990, hinting at leader Kim Jong-un’s plans to reform the state-controlled economy, the media reported on Monday. Women watch them for fashion tips, their tunes are karaoke staples and their concerts – though rather infrequent – are broadcast over and over and over again on state-run television.
Its members play a range of instruments, including electronic violins.
China’s President Xi Jinping has made little secret of his disdain for the young leader next door, and the two have not met since both took power, unusual given that North Korea relies on China for nearly everything.
The concerts had been invitation-only, and no tickets were sold to the public.
The abrupt pullout of the band by North Korea from China suggests that the ties were deteriorating, the observers said. They apparently explained that art and blatant propaganda do not mix.
“We have entered our prime in these rewarding times, there is nothing that we can not do”.
Then, before they’d sung a single word and strummed a single guitar string, they were gone.
“There are few things the North takes more seriously than an attack on the dignity of its supreme leadership, and it might have chose to bring the female members of the band back quickly to cut off such reports”, Yang said.
Advertisement
A staff member at the centre said the concerts had been canceled, but did not give a reason why.
