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Vivienne Chow

A North Korean children's choir will perform in Hong Kong next month for the first time.
The move is seen as one of a series of recent gestures taking the communist country closer to  the rest of the world.
The  Pyongyang Students and Children Art Group has just confirmed its attendance in mid-July's 2008 Hong Kong International Youth & Children's Choir Festival, which will also feature  choirs from 36 other countries.
Leon Tong Shiu-wai,  president of the Hong Kong Treble Choirs' Association, organisers of the event, said  officials in Pyongyang had shown strong interest in the event and had contacted the organisers through Beijing.
Since Hong Kong rarely  shared cultural exchange activities with North Korea, the performance of the children's choir  would open the door for further such events.
'This is a kind gesture on their side because they usually don't let children  travel and perform abroad,' Mr Tong said.
'This shows that North Korea is gradually opening up and  wants to become part of the world.'
He said because North Korea had been closed to foreign influences, the children's choir was expected to sing in a distinctive style.
The 50-member tour group will be staying in Hong Kong for about a week and  will visit a few  of the city's universities before tours to Shenzhen and Beijing.
Political commentator Johnny Lau Yui-siu  said  the performance in Hong Kong would help  the group earn regional exposure. He said  the choir's visit was one gesture among others from the country recently,  including the destruction on Friday of a cooling tower, the most visible symbol of its nuclear weapons programme, which it was hoped would help  bring  North Korea closer to the rest of the world.
Earlier this year, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra  made a historic visit to Pyongyang.
'Such cultural activities  show North Korea wants to become a member of the international community,' Mr Lau said. .
'North Korean artists have performed in China and other communist countries in the past, but actions that link it with the capitalist  world always raise international concern.
'China is happy about that and will encourage North Korea to do so, because the opening up of North Korea can help ease China's economic support for the country.'
The Pyongyang Students and Children Art Group will perform a number of times,  including on the opening night of the festival on July 14 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
Among choirs scheduled to  perform  is the World Youth Choir. The  group has about  80 members from 33 countries.



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North Korea

Visit a first for North Korean children's choir