[Yonhap News Photo]
SEOUL, Feb. 07 (Aju News) -- North Korean art troupe members underwent a visible change in their attitude and appearance for an apparent charm offensive Wednesday after they took a lunch break aboard a ferry anchored in a port on South Korea's east coast.
The change came after the ferry lowered a giant national flag and hoisted the so-called unification flag which represents all of Korea when North and South Korea participate as one team in sporting events. Against the white background, there is a blue silhouette of the Korean peninsula in the center.
The unification flag was first used in 1991 when the two countries competed as a single team in the 41st World Table Tennis Championships in Chiba, Japan. South and North Korean athletes will use it for a joint march at the opening ceremony of the Olympics in the eastern ski resort of Pyeongchang.
During their morning visit to an art center for rehearsal in Gangneung, one of the Olympic venues, North Korean musicians, singers and dancers with female musicians wearing red coats, black fur hats, fur mufflers, and ankle boots maintained their nervous silence in a somewhat subdued mood when they faced South Korean journalists and greeters.
Troupe members were expressionless with many members laying their eyes down in the morning. In the afternoon, they came back with a bright smile after taking off thick coats to wear red shirts, black pants and sneakers.
The art troupe members will perform in Gangneung on Thursday and in Seoul on Sunday. North Korea has reportedly selected top members from six or seven artistic groups, including the Moranbong girl band formed by Kim, to show off their world-class performance technique at rare concerts in South Korea.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
