North Korean female dance troupe on diplomacy tour of China
Kim Jong-un has dispatched his all-female dance troupe on a six-day mission to China in an effort to rebuild relations with their northern neighbor.
Relations between North Korea and China have been strained since Kim Jong-un decided to test new ballistic missiles and detonate a nuclear bomb in a secretive underground bunker in defiance of a request from Beijing.
According to North Korean newspaper the Rodong Sinmun: “The DPRK State Merited Chorus and Moranbong Band will pay friendship visit to China to give performances from December 10 to 15.”
[Daily Mail]
This entry was posted in China, DPRK Government, Kim Jong Un by Grant Montgomery.
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[…] was the first statement of its kind to be released since the abrupt departure of North Korea’s all-female Moranbong Band from China before beginning its we…. A possible dispute between the band’s leader and Chinese government officials could have […]
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Update: The band ended up canceling its concerts in Beijing and abruptly left the Chinese capital due to unspecified communication issues, possibly further cooling relations between the traditional allies.
The Moranbong Band had been scheduled to hold three concerts in Beijing beginning Saturday night Dec 12 in what was viewed as a visit to cultivate ties between the countries. Then the news came the performance “cannot be staged as scheduled due to communication issues at the working level,” as per the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing a news release from unnamed “relevant departments.”
Band members had arrived at Beijing’s airport in North Korean Embassy vehicles on Saturday afternoon, and then departed aboard a North Korean Air Koryo jet shortly after 4 p.m. following a lengthy delay, Chinese news website sina.com reported.
Although North Korea is well known for its unpredictability, the sudden cancellation of the concerts could hurt relations between Beijing and Pyongyang, as China attaches high importance to cultural exchanges.