K-pop and cultural exchange in North Korea: does it make a difference? | NK News
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October 02, 2026Oct 02, 2026

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K-pop and cultural exchange in North Korea: does it make a difference?

Observers weigh the pros and cons of a South Korean concert in Pyongyang

South Korean singers are once again back on stage in North Korea. A roughly 190-member troupe of artists, including Cho Yong-pil, Lee Seon-hee, Choi Jin-hee, the Yoon Do-hyun band, and girl group Red Velvet arrived in Pyongyang on Saturday to perform two concerts – the first such event since 2005.

On Sunday they performed for Kim Jong Un and his wife, and are set to perform a joint concert with North Korean artists at the Ryugyong Jong Ju Yong Gymnasium on Tuesday.

These exchanges often highlight the differences between the two Koreas: the North, to put it mildly, remains conservative,