The New York Philharmonic, conducted by maestro Lorin Maazel, performed a historic concert in the North Korean capital city of Pyongyang. They earned a five-minute standing ovation from the audience with their third and final encore, the playing of the Korean folksong, “Arirang” (a song of love and loss).
Of the diplomatic impact of the concert, Maazel feels, “The groundwork has been laid” and “there may be a mission accomplished here.” He says he interpreted the audience as saying, “We understand the gesture of coming here. It could not have been easy for you. We appreciate that you did.”
(I’m not so sure about that)
Asked why President Kim Jong Il didn’t attend the concert, North Korea’s Minister of Culture, Kang Nung Su, stated, “Our general is very busy leading the revolution of Korea” and “There is no significance at all” to his absence.
Leading the revolution? On the street of Pyongyang, a billboard stands as a stark reminder of exactly whom the North Korean government is revolting against. Denouncing the United States the billboard reads: “Those who tackle (hurt) our pride, Wherever you are, We will put an end to it.”
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