North China Milwaukee..."Best courtesy"

Just 15 days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a North Korean art group resumed performing in China after three years at Beijing's biggest concert hall. The relationship between North Korea and China has become so close that the Chinese president and his wife will attend the second U.S.-North Korea summit.



China's state-run media Xinhua News Agency and the People's Daily, the Communist Party's official newspaper, started to promote friendly relations between North Korea and China by covering the performance of a North Korean art team attended by Xi and his wife on the front page of the same day. He also posted photos of Xi and his wife clapping on the stage with members of the art group, as well as a meeting with Ri Su Yong, vice chairman of the North's Workers' Party, showing off that the friendly relationship between North Korea and China is deepening through the medium of art.

The performance of the North Korean Art Troupe, which the city couple attended at 7:30 p.m. the previous day, was held in a friendly atmosphere, with applause and cheers pouring in for an hour and a half at a large opera hall capable of accommodating more than 2,000 people. It was full of songs expressing friendship between North Korea and China and songs praising socialism. The opening song was sung by the co-founder of North Korea's Gonghun National Assembly in the uniform of the People's Army, "Chosun of the People's Republic of China will be forever." This shows the North's efforts to emphasize friendly relations with the North. The sequence of performances was also arranged in a format that sang songs by North Korea and China alternately.



North Korean singers such as Ryu Jin-ah, Kim Yoo-kyung, and Song Young sang a propaganda song that said they would not give up socialism, while North Korean actors Seo Eun-hyang and Kim Joo-ok sang "The Song of Janggang" and "Arirang." The song was chosen to include a Chinese song "Don't Forget Tonight" in hopes of continuing the friendly relationship between North Korea and China.



China has made extraordinary efforts to secure North Korean artists to the extent that they cancel all other performances scheduled at the National Grand National Theater. China's key figures, including Xi and Wang Huning, the Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee, Dingxiang's head of the Central Press, Sun Chun-ran, the Communist Party's deputy prime minister, Hwang Kun-ming, political bureau in charge of foreign affairs, and Wang's foreign minister, were all gathered. Face recognition devices, which are known to be used only during important events, were also used.



At 7:30 p.m. on May 26, the North Korean art group performed the same message on 2,000 people, including members of the Chinese Foreign Affairs and Communications Ministry, invited guests from Chinese business organizations, employees of the North Korean Embassy, and soldiers. North Korean visitors entered the country with an invitation card bearing their name on it, and some women were seen wearing hanbok.



The meeting between Xi and Ri Su Yong, vice chairman of the North Korean Workers' Party, also included strengthening the friendship between North Korea and China.성인사진

"North Korea's upcoming visit to China is an important cultural exchange event that forms an important consensus between the two countries and also a celebration for the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between North Korea and China," Xi said. "We met with Kim Jong Un four times since 2018 to form an important consensus on the development of North Korea-China relations. To mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between North Korea and China, China will actively contribute to the well-being of its people, region and world peace and stability of the people together with North Korea.



"The concert was a demonstration of Kim's deep affection for Chinese people, including Chinese President Xi," Lee said. "North Korea will also contribute to opening a new chapter of friendship by implementing important agreements made by Chairman Kim Jong Il and Xi and strengthening friendly cooperation with the North."



The North Korean art troupe's Beijing concert was held three years after the sudden cancellation of the performance of Moranbong Band led by Hyun Song-wol in December 2015, and the Chinese couple saw the performance and reported related information in person, which is why the two countries' strategic honeymoon relationship is aimed at showing off to the outside world. With the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties with North Korea and the upcoming second North-U.S. summit, the need to strengthen inter-Korean relations has become even greater. China has stressed its desire to play a "constructive role" in the issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.