NKorean defector gives piano recital

NKorean defector gives piano recital October 6, 2008 - 5:54pm By FOSTER KLUG Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - A North Korean defector gave a piano recital Monday at the State Department, telling assembled diplomats and officials that the ability to freely listen to music from other countries can influence repressed North Koreans' view of the world. Kim Cheol-Woong, a pseudonym used to protect family members still in North Korea, received standing ovations as he played Frederic Chopin's "Nocturne," the Korean folk song "Arirang" and "Amazing Grace" in the ornate Benjamin Franklin Room, high atop the State Department. His comments came as diplomats worked to salvage stalled North Korean nuclear disarmament talks. Kim, the son of a prominent North Korean and former first pianist of the State Symphony Orchestra, said the... [read full story]