North Korean Orchestra Plans to Perform in South Korea During Winter Olympics

North Korean Orchestra Plans to Perform in South Korea During Winter OlympicsTo avoid having the orchestra performances become a political controversy, South Korean negotiators are expected to insistthat the North Korean artists not sing songs or use stage props that would surely cause ire among South Koreans, including any references to, or images of, North Korean missiles.The South Korean government said it hoped that the North Korean orchestra would "contribute to improving relationsand recovering the cultural homogeneity." Both sides have not decided whether the North Koreans will hold any joint concerts with a South Korean orchestra.The orchestra, known as the Samjiyon Band, one of the North’s top arts troupes, will enter South Korea by crossing over at Panmunjom, a border village,and will perform twice in the South: once in Seoul, the South Korean capital, and once in Gangneung, a city on the east coast where some of the Olympic competitions will be held.15, 2018HONG KONG — A 140-member North Korean pop orchestra will stage rare performances inSouth Korea during the Winter Olympics next month, the two Koreas agreed on Monday.After years of denouncing the South as an American stooge, Mr. Kim, the North Korean leader, used his New Year’s Day speech to propose a dialogueto discuss his country’s participation in the Winter Olympics being held in the South Korean town of Pyeongchang beginning Feb. 7.In border talks held at Panmunjom last week, the two sides agreedthat North Korea would send athletes and cheerleaders, as well as an art troupe, journalists and a taekwondo demonstration team.