By Lee Min-hyung
North Korea has rejected South Korea's proposal to allow K-pop singer and rapper Psy to appear in Pyongyang as part of the South's performance troupe, according to reports Monday.
The Ministry of Unification unveiled last week a plan to hold a concert in Pyongyang delivered by South Korean performers, including pop singers Cho Yong-pil and Lee Sun-hee. Starting Sunday, they will kick off a three-day visit to the regime's capital city.
This comes amid warming inter-Korean relations ahead of a planned summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later next month.
Details have yet to be confirmed over whether Psy, who ascended to global stardom with his hit song "Gangnam Style" in 2012, will join the troupe. But local reports said the government offered to bring Psy to Pyongyang, but Hyon Song-wol, the regime's star singer and the leader of Samjiyon Orchestra, rejected this.
Hyon reportedly declined the proposal as Psy's free-spirited performances contrast to the sentiment of North Korean citizens.
"We do not have specific information on the reports," unification ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said in a media briefing Monday.
The ministry plans to unveil details for the upcoming performances Tuesday, including a confirmed lineup for the performance troupe and concert schedule, according to the ministry.
Seoul arranged for a 160-member troupe for the Pyongyang concerts. But the number is expected to rise, with both Koreas agreeing to push for a joint performance.
Reports also said Seohyun of girl group Girls' Generation has been selected as an emcee for the upcoming concerts.
Last month, she made a surprise appearance in the finale concert delivered by a North Korean performance troupe in Seoul, singing "Let's Meet Again" and "Our Wish Is Unification" with the North's female singers.
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| Psy |
The Ministry of Unification unveiled last week a plan to hold a concert in Pyongyang delivered by South Korean performers, including pop singers Cho Yong-pil and Lee Sun-hee. Starting Sunday, they will kick off a three-day visit to the regime's capital city.
This comes amid warming inter-Korean relations ahead of a planned summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later next month.
Details have yet to be confirmed over whether Psy, who ascended to global stardom with his hit song "Gangnam Style" in 2012, will join the troupe. But local reports said the government offered to bring Psy to Pyongyang, but Hyon Song-wol, the regime's star singer and the leader of Samjiyon Orchestra, rejected this.
Hyon reportedly declined the proposal as Psy's free-spirited performances contrast to the sentiment of North Korean citizens.
"We do not have specific information on the reports," unification ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said in a media briefing Monday.
The ministry plans to unveil details for the upcoming performances Tuesday, including a confirmed lineup for the performance troupe and concert schedule, according to the ministry.
Seoul arranged for a 160-member troupe for the Pyongyang concerts. But the number is expected to rise, with both Koreas agreeing to push for a joint performance.
Reports also said Seohyun of girl group Girls' Generation has been selected as an emcee for the upcoming concerts.
Last month, she made a surprise appearance in the finale concert delivered by a North Korean performance troupe in Seoul, singing "Let's Meet Again" and "Our Wish Is Unification" with the North's female singers.
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