North Korea sends pop singer to South Korea for Winter Olympics talks

North Korean artists will not be allowed to push propaganda in their sets if they are given permission to perform

North Korea have sent a pop singer to South Korea as part of the delegation set to discuss artists from the North’s participation in the Winter Olympics.

The sporting event is set to take place in the South Korean city of Pyeongchang between February 9 and 25, 2018.

Hyon Song-wol is a member of the state-sponsored girl group Moranbong Band, whose songs often praise the Kim dynasty. Her presence in the delegation has sparked rumours the band could be set to perform at the Olympics.

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As the Guardian reports, the group’s catalogue includes songs such as ‘Mother’s Birthday’, which pays tribute to the Worker’s regime, and ‘We Call Him Father’, in celebration of Kim Jong-un. If Moranbong Band are granted permission to perform at the Olympics, they will not be allowed to perform any songs that push propaganda for the North.

Cheong Seong-chang, an analyst at Seoul’s Sejong Institute, said: “If the Moranbong Bnad members, who are all formally military officers, come to the South in military uniforms, it could cause discomfort among many South Koreans.

They added: “And it would stir an even bigger controversy if any praise of Kim Jong-un or missile launches are featured on the stage during their performance.”

South Korea have reportedly already granted permission for a 140-piece North Korean orchestra to perform in Seoul and Gangneung during the Olympics.

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