Soon many nations and athletes will gather together in PyeongChang, South Korea to participate in the Winter Olympics. North Korea plans to send the Samjiyon Band to Seoul and Gangneug. The 140 members will be performing in a pop orchestra. This arrangement demonstrates a moment of peace between the two countries. Although, Kim Jong-un, North Korea's leader, largely uses troupes as propaganda for his ideas and loyalty. South Korea required that the performances steer clear of anything that could upset the people, largely the missile crisis. It seems that Kim Jong-un is trying to butter up South Korea so that they can join the Winter Olympics. This art troupe shows that South Korea is willing to accept peace with their northern neighbor.
This week, the article in the New York Times, "North Korean Orchestra Plans to Perform in South Korea During Winter Olympics", states that North Korea will send athletes, cheerleaders, art troupes, journalists, and a taekwondo team to South Korea. It also mentions that North Korea and South Korea will create a joint women's ice hockey team for the Olympics. As of yet, North Korea is not officially in the Winter Olympics. Their proposal must be discussed in Switzerland to determine if they can join. The world holds its breath to see if North Korea will participate in the games.
See also the CNN and FOX News reports about North Korea's involvement in the Winter Olympics.
For more information about North Korea and the Olympics see:
The CIA World Factbook: Provides information and facts about North Korea.
https://www.cia.gov/library/
The U.S. Department of State: Provides information about travel, such as whether a location is safe to visit.
Travel.state.gov
https://travel.state.gov/
Library of Congress: Dates and locations of past Olympics
http://www.loc.gov/rr/main/olympics/dates.html
~ by Emily Hancz
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