Massive attention for North Koreans

gangneung - A 137-strong North Korean orchestra began with great interest in a first performance in South Korea. Dozens of demonstrators made noise in the vicinity of the concert hall in Gangneung.

Many South Koreans had attempted to attend the concert. More than 150,000 people participated in a lottery with which they could win tickets for one of the two shows of the North Koreans.

The Samjiyon band played songs from North and South Korea on Thursday for the 812 listeners. A 54-year-old woman, who attended the concert with her daughter, talked about a 'historical moment. 'It was known for the first time since 2000 that a North Korean music group performed in the southern neighbor.

Not all South Koreans are enthusiastic about the arrival of the northern musicians. Some eighty people demonstrated in the area. They played, among other things, protest music. A hundred agents were deployed to keep the demonstrators away from the performance.