NY Philharmonic to play in N Korea

The New York Philharmonic will play the US and North Korean anthems during a visit to the reclusive Communist state in February…

The New York Philharmonic will play the US and North Korean anthems during a visit to the reclusive Communist state in February that officials said could break cultural boundaries and draw the two countries closer.

The concert, to be held in Pyongyang on February 26th, would be the centerpiece of a two-day visit and include Gershwin's "An American in Paris" and Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 "From The New World," the orchestra's president Zarin Mehta said today.

"The Star Spangled Banner" and North Korea's anthem will also be played by the United States' oldest symphony orchestra, said Mehta, adding that the visit comes "at an exciting time" when both countries "are at the cusp of normalizing relations."

The long-time foes are formally in a state of war but are engaged in a diplomatic process that could lead to the normalization of ties. After years of talks, North Korea, which tested a nuclear device last year, agreed in February to disable its nuclear facilities in exchange for economic and diplomatic incentives.

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US President George W. Bush urged North Korea to keep its promise to reveal all nuclear ties in a letter this month to Kim Jong-il, the reclusive leader of a country he once branded part of an "axis of evil."

North Korea's UN Ambassador Pak Gil Yon told the joint news conference with Mehta that he did not know if Kim Jong-il would attend the performance.

He would not comment on the political ramifications of the trip, except to say it would strengthen relations. "The scheduled visit will surely strengthen the understanding and cultural relations between the people of the two countries," Pak said.

Critics have questioned the appropriateness of the Philharmonic's visit to the repressive regime, which has been accused of human rights abuses.