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Musicians from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK) and South Korea held hands, sang and cried together at a rare concert held in Pyongyang that ended with an emotional standing ovation by thousands of spectators.
The South Korean pop stars returned home Wednesday after two concerts in DPRK's capital this week, the first of which was attended by leader Kim Jong Un who said he was "deeply moved" by their performance.
Their visit, part of a cultural charm offensive by Seoul, comes as a diplomatic thaw gathers pace on the peninsula ahead of a landmark inter-Korean summit this month.
The joint concert stirred the audience as those present "overflowed with compatriotic and warm feelings", KCNA said.
The second concert, held Tuesday evening at a packed 12,000-capacity Ryugyong Jong Ju Yong Gymnasium in Pyongyang, saw the DPRK's Samjiyon Orchestra join South Korean K-pop stars on stage, to rapturous applause.
"The performers sang of the ardent desire of the fellow countrymen for national reunification hands in hands," reported DPRK's official KCNA agency.
The joint concert stirred the audience as those present "overflowed with compatriotic and warm feelings", KCNA said.
Kim, who made a surprise appearance with his wife at the first concert, did not attend Tuesday's performance.
His high-profile appearance at the earlier concert was unusual as DPRK typically struggles to prevent any infiltration of the South's pop culture.
Kim even met and joked with Red Velvet, a K-pop girl band, about the high levels of interest in the South about his attendance.
The girl group's performance of hit song "Red Flavour" Tuesday appeared too much for the DPRK audience, however, which was subdued throughout a provocative display, according to South Korean pool reports.
But the crowd responded with louder applause for 61-year-old musician Choi Jin-hee, who sang her 80s hit song "The Maze of Love" -- reportedly former DPRK leader Kim Jong Il's favourite song.
The stadium also reacted enthusiastically when female singers from the two countries jointly performed "Paektu and Halla are My Fatherland", a patriotic DPRK song about reunification.
A joint performance of "We Are One" given by artistes from DPRK and South of Korea at the Ryugyong Jong Ju Yong Indoor Stadium in Pyongyang
The show culminated with all the musicians joining together to sing DPRK's "See You Again" and the common Korean children's song "Our Wish is Reunification", prompting a standing ovation that lasted more than 10 minutes.
"I think the performance was a success," said Hyon Song Wol, head of DPRK's art troupe, after the show.
"The South Korean singers did really well without any mistake even though they had only half a day to practice," Hyon said.
The rapprochement on the peninsula began with the South's Winter Olympics, to which DPRK's Kim sent athletes, cheerleaders and his sister as an envoy.
An inter-Korean summit will be held on April 27. No date has been set for a planned US-DPRK summit although it is expected before the end of May.
(AFP)
