North Korea’s young leader Kim Jong-un, accompanied by an unidentified woman, recently attended a concert that marked an unusual departure for his isolated regime.
Footage run on state TV showed performers dressed as Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and other Disney characters dancing against a backdrop of clips from Disney movies including “Snow White” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
The concert also played a rendition of the famous “Rocky” theme song, showing scenes of the U.S. film character pounding his Soviet rival at a boxing match set in the Cold War era.
The debut show by the Moranbong troupe established by the young leader was a notable change from the way his late father and predecessor Kim Jong-il directed performances for propaganda purposes.
The change is regarded as a sign that the junior Kim, believed to be in his late 20s, is seeking to carve out an image as a vibrant and modernizing leader.
But it has yet to be seen whether the rare performance is signaling he will pursue policies to open up his isolated regime and take the path of reform.
Some observers expect him to accelerate changes when he consolidates his power, citing a recent order he reportedly made that North Korean officials accept anything from the outside world if it helps the people.
But others note it would go too far to regard the performance, which they say only reflected the effect of his adolescent days at a Swiss school on his cultural tastes, as an evidence of a reformist tendency.
There is no need to make a hasty prediction on the course to be taken by Kim. The time will soon come to prove whether he is really tilted toward reform and has the strength of leadership required to push it over objections from the old guard in the party and military.
The U.S. didn’t appear too impressed by the unusual performance, which was not licensed or authorized by the Walt Disney Co.
A U.S. State Department spokesman urged North Korea to respect intellectual property rights, though he admitted Washington could not raise the issue with Pyongyang, with which it has no diplomatic relations.
Kim’s will to pursue reforms might be assured when Pyongyang heeds advice and leaves the world in no doubt about the identity of the woman who sat beside Kim during the concert.
