A North Korean band “played several southern songs” when they performed before party officials and artists in Pyongyang on Friday, the KCNA news agency said. Public interest in the show was huge in the South, with nearly 120,000 people applying for one of the 1,000 tickets available for the Seoul performance. North Korea’s late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il reportedly took a shine to many South Korean pop songs although K-pop is officially banned in the communist North. Following a historic summit between the two Koreas in 2000, South Korean pop singers and musicians visited the North, some of whom were personally greeted by Kim Jong Il. Afterwards, Kim reportedly gave his stamp of approval to some 20 South Korean pop songs, allowing them to be played in the North.

Source: Manila Times February 17, 2018 04:07 UTC