hankyoreh

South and North Korean singers perform the song “Our Wish is Unification” in front of a background reading

“Ladies and gentlemen, let’s have a warm round of applause for the Southern performers in the North-South musicians’ joint performance.”

A joint performance by South Korean musicians and North Korea’s Samjiyon Orchestra began at 3:30 pm on Apr. 3 at the Ryugyong Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium in Pyongyang. The 12,000-seat theater was packed for the event, with North Korean audience members passionately cheering the South and North Korean singers united on stage.

The Apr. 3 event was hosted by Korean Central Television reporter Choi Hyo-song from North Korea and South Korean actress/singer Seohyun. After exchanging greetings, the two hosts shouted, “We are one,” kicking off the main event. The early performance consisted of the same repertoire as a previous performance by South Korean musicians alone on Apr. 1. A piano performance by Kim Kwang-min was followed by singers Jung-in and Ali performing “Oreumakgil (Uphill)” and “Peong Peong (Crying).”

The South Korean pop group Red Velvet performs at the Ryugyong Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium in Pyongyang on Apr. 3. (Photo Pool)

“Prepare yourselves to see what South-North and North-South harmony is like,” Ali declared, at which point Samjiyon Orchestra singers Kim Ok-ju and Song Yong took the stage. Kim and Song were the singers appearing as representatives of North Korea at February performances in South Korea. Jung-in, Ali, Kim, and Song took turns singing bars from the song “Eolgul (Face).”

Seohyun drew loud applause with a second rendition of “Pureun Beodeunamu (Green Willow),” the North Korean song she performed during the Apr. 1 performance. Red Velvet then came on to perform “Ppalgan Mat (Red Flavor).” Choi Jin-hee, who sang “Sarang-ui Miro (Maze of Love),” told the audience, “I really, really wanted to come. Sixteen years is too long to wait. Maybe I’ll be able to see you more often now. You will invite me, won’t you?” In response, the audience erupted in applause.

South Korean singer Lee Sun-hee performs with North Korean singers at the “We are One” concert at the Ryugyong Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium in Pyongyang on Apr. 3. (Photo Pool)

Baek Ji-young song “Chong Majeun Geotcheoreom (Like Being Hit by a Bullet)” and “Itji Marayo (Don’t Forget).” Kim Ok-ju, who joined Song to sing the song “J-ege (To J)” at the February performance, performed a duet this time with Lee Sun-hee.

Singers Kang San Ae and Yoon Do-hyun, both of whom have family members who have endured the pain of separation [due to Korea’s division], also drew strong responses from the audience. Kang, whose parents are North Korean refugees, was overcome with emotion after singing “Raguyo (They Said),” left at a loss for words as he wiped the tears away. Yoon, whose maternal grandmother remains in North Korea performed “Namja-neun Bae Yeoja-neun Hanggu (Men Are the Ships, Women Are Harbors)” with his band.

“I’d like to tour the world doing joint performances with the Samjiyon Orchestra,” Yoon said, drawing laughs from the audience.

The Samjiyon Orchestra also gave performances on its own, sharing a more than 10-minute-long medley including songs like “Jjillekkot (Wild Rose),” “Nunmul Jeojeun Dumangang (Duman River of Tears),” and “Arirang Gogae (Arirang Ridge).” For a second time, the last singer to appear was Cho Yong-pil, who livened the mood with “Monarija (Mona Lisa),” a song he had not performed on Apr. 1.

The performance also featured video footage showing memories of past unity between South and North. Images of the World Table Tennis Championships in Apr. 1991 where the first unified South and North Korean team was formed were followed by scenes of the unified women’s ice hockey team at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February and North Korea’s cheering squad at the event.

After Cho sang “Mona Lisa,” the background image showed the first item of the June 15 Inter-Korean Joint Declaration from 2000, reading, “The South and the North have agreed to resolve the question of reunification independently and through the joint efforts of the Korean people, who are the masters of the country.”

Images of a 2002 MBC special performance in Pyongyang and reunions among divided family members were followed by a message reading, “Right now, a new history is being written.“

For the final performance, female singers from both sides appeared in turn to sing the North Korean song “Baekdu-wa Hanna-neun Nae Joguk (Baekdu and Halla Are My Homeland).” Baek Ji-young and Kim Ok-su appeared singing the first bars, after which Lee Sun-hee appeared, high-fiving the North Korean singer as they sang together. The male singers performed an arrangement of “Uri-ui Sowon (Our Wish)” by Samjiyon Orchestra. All singers then joined to sing “Dasi Mannapsida (Let Us Meet Again),” bringing the performance to a close as the North Korean audience members rose for a more than 10-minute-long standing ovation.

South Korean musician Kang San-ae performs at the Ryugyong Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium in Pyongyang on Apr. 3. (Photo Pool)

“One of the lines said ‘Between us only empty space is left,’” noted one of the North Korean audience members after the performance. “There is nothing in between us. We don’t need interpreters. And yet it took so long for us to meet.” It was the viewer’s emotional reaction to the song “1178,” which Yoon Do-hyun wrote to express his hope for reunification and which included the lines, “I cry with unfathomable sadness / Between us only empty space is left.”

Meeting reporters outside of the arena after the performance, Samjiyon Orchestra director Hyon Song-wol expressed her satisfaction.

“They had just half a day to practice, but the North and South Korean singers performed so well,” Hyon enthused. When asked what her favorite part had been, she replied, “I liked the part where they sang together best.” When asked whether she would like to see another performance in the fall, she answered, “Yes.”

By Kim Mi-young, staff reporter