I thought this was some sort of sick joke at first, but apparently not ; the Chosun Ilbo cities a report in the Choson Sinbo (despite the similar names, South Korea’s preeminent conservative daily and the news organ of the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan couldn’t be further apart) claiming — sit down for this — that Pyongyang will invite the Three Tenors — Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti — to perform for a spring arts festival celebrating the birthday of late (sort of) North Korean leader Kim Il-sung. The original Choson Sinbo piece (in Korean) is here — the writer chats with the organizer of the event, Song Seok-hwan, and talks about preparations to invite the Three Tenors along with other world famous artists, performers, and actors (quick, someone give Sean Penn’s agent a call!). Actually, the article gives pride of place to the Russian performers who will attend, and discusses the improving relations between North Korea and Putin’s Russia, which I guess is kind of interesting.
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13 Comments
Kim Jong Il imports South Corean soap operas. Kim Il Sung likes the opera. Even dictators need a little culture sometimes.
Will meals be provided for the Three Tenors or do they have to bring their own chow?
I guess that’s not very funny. I shudder to even try to imagine what’s going on with poor rural people in N Korea, if even just a portion of these stories about cannibalism/torture etc are true.
God has turned his face away from that land. What I can’t understand is why the South Koreans do so.
Mr. Marmot,
in disagreement with you I like Sean Penn, although more as an fine actor than as a (sometimes)naive political activist parachuting down to Baghdad for the San Francisco Chronicle(my memory is leaving me alone, if this was the right newspaper?).
All three tenors are over their zenith and have become a disappointing global “money-machine”. Especially fatty Luciano Pavarotti is not a very eyepleasing sight for malnourished North Koreans.
Pavarotti has many sparetime hobbies in common with Kim Jong-Il: horse-riding (damned, I?쨈ve seen a TV footage of Pavafatty torturing a horse with his overwhelming massive weight, guessing till today where the hell the animal rightists have been this time; didn?쨈t look Olympic either) and blood-young girls.
The three Stugees should let Luciano donor the content of his fridge to the North Korean population. It would be possibly enough to feed a whole fuckin?쨈 elementary school. O sole mio!
Sugar Shin,
your posts always bring a joyful tear to my eye. Hahhaha!
Mr. scott, I?쨈m not a funny guy, I?쨈m only mad.
The starvation issue of fellow, helpless North Korean peasants is a serious and heartbreaking one, but this “Three Tenors”-birthday-gig is a shame and I wanted to let my Han out.
I think the Sean Penn crack missed the mark. Mr. Oostindie might be a better suggestion. Penn is politically muddled and his first trip to Baghdad a remarkable misstep. But he’s far more earnest and honest than, say, his most recent co-star, Tim Robbins.
Penn’s recent articles about his return to Baghdad at least admitted that there were a lot of positive changes and a lot of moral ambiguities about the old anti-war side.
I think the DPRK is so vile, they can’t even attract Hollywood lefties. I doubt the 3 Tenors would accpet such an invitation.
Maybe they’ll barbecue them. After the concert, of course.
Sugar Shin: “The starvation issue of fellow, helpless North Korean peasants is a serious and heartbreaking one,…”
I do not know much about you, Sugar. Are you saying you are a North Korean, or are you just claiming to be a “fellow” Korean?
By the way, what is your opinion of South Korea’s policy of essentially ignoring the human rights issues in North Korea? If you have already posted your views on that, maybe you could tell me where?
Gerry-san Bevers,
“Die schlechtesten Leser sind die, welche wie pl?쩌ndernde Soldaten verfahren: sie nehmen sich einiges, was sie brauchen k?쨋nnen, heraus, beschmutzen und verwirren das ?쩌brige und l?짚stern auf das Ganze.”-Friedrich Nietzsche
This aphrism by Nietzsche explains, why I?쨈m going to avoid your company in the future. I won?쨈t translate it, because my poor English-skills would rape the geniality of Nietzsche?쨈s words. Get a good English translation (maybe you?쨈re a language expert in German, too.) or simply try to ignore me in the future, because I?쨈ve learned now, that your comments are a constant threat to my blood pressure.
Have nice, very nice day in Korea, fellow commenter.
Gerry-san Bevers again,
I must change the word “geniality” in the post above into “genius” or “brilliancy”, because of my poor English skills I?쨈ve made a mistake.
“Genialit?짚t”(German)=genius, brilliancy in English
“Freundlichkeit”(German)= geniality in English
You see the difference, Gerry? If interpreting/ translating would be my everyday rice-earning occupation, I would live a poverty-stricken, miserable life. Thank you, for your notice.
Deep virtual bow of remorse to Mr. Marmot, I?쨈ll try hard to avoid correction posts.
Maybe poiboy is really in Germany after all.
I wonder if the Asian manager for the 3 tenors will handle the contract? I wonder because the guy is American and I believe it would be illegal for him to handle the business (being an American) though that has never stopped the schmuck from gouging any dumb Korean investor that was forced to deal with him for bringing an act to Korea. Kim Jong Il and this guy (Ben Av) deserve each other though.
Wow, kimchipig?쨈s CPU has started to function!
“poiboy”? Is this a special English term that I can?쨈t find in my dictionary?
Get a life, “Paranoid Android”(The Radiohead, UK rock band)!