NK News
Kim Jong Un greets the crowd at a surprise appearance at a K-pop show.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a surprise appearance at a K-pop concert in Pyongyang after some speculation over whether or not he'd actually show up - and he reportedly loved it.
- Kim and his wife saw South Korean K-pop group Red Velvet, Girls' Generation member Seohyun, and many others play at a "Spring is Coming" concert that he gave rave reviews of.
- Kim's enjoyment of a show put on by South Korean performers show how much things have changed.
- His father, Kim Jong Il, kidnapped South Korean performers and North Korea still puts citizens to death for watching South Korean media.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a surprise appearance at a K-pop concert in Pyongyang after some speculation over whether or not he'd actually show up - and he reportedly loved it.
Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju saw South Korean K-pop group Red Velvet, Girls' Generation member Seohyun, and many others play at a "Spring is Coming" concert that appears to have captured his imagination.
"When such good atmosphere is preserved carefully and continuously, only the beautiful spring when new buds sprout and flowers blossom and the rich autumn when the crops are abundant will always be in the way of our fellow countrymen," Kim said, according to North Korean media.
Kim even told a South Korean performer he'd like to return the favor with a show in South Korea called "Autumn is Coming," according to NK News.
"Please tell [South Korean President Moon Jae-in] that how great an event like this is," Kim reportedly said, also explaining that he reworked his busy schedule to see Red Velvet.
Kim and his wife watched the performance with South Korean officials including Minister Do Jong-whan of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, who said Kim "showed a lot of interest while asking about songs and lyrics during the South's performance," according to NK
The performance also included some North Korean songs which were greeted with loud applause. And, as the event took place in Pyongyang, Kim himself was loudly applauded by the crowd.
Kim's surprise visit to the show underscores a massive change in North and South Korean relations. Under Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, North Korea kidnapped South Korean artists to help film propaganda movies.
In North Korea, citizens can be sentenced to death for simply possessing South Korean media. When South Korea used to air drop in media like DVDs, North Korea would respond extremely harshly.
But now, as tensions begin to thaw and Kim goes on a diplomatic offensive meeting with heads of state for the first time, his tone seems to have shifted.