North Koreans Welcome Symphonic Diplomacy

Hinting at a wider cultural thaw, a concert by the New York Philharmonic was the first permitted by an American orchestra in the country.

North Korea Seeks a Clapton Concert

On Tuesday North Korean officials invited the superstar rock guitarist Eric Clapton to perform there, according to a representative for the North Korean Embassy in London.

For the Press, a Closely Guided Tour of Pyongyang

North Korean officials gave journalists a scripted tour of Pyongyang’s sites, but there were spontaneous moments.

South Korean President Pledges Pragmatism

After he was sworn in Monday, President Lee Myung-bak pledged to improve relations with the United States and draw North Korea out of its isolation.

North Korea Welcomes New York Philharmonic

The orchestra was presented with a gala performance of traditional music and dance and an endless banquet.

In Visit, Cellist’s Quest for Lost Chord to His Youth

Now in Pyongyang as a cellist with the New York Philharmonic, Valentin Hirsu is asking about the fate of three Korean boys from his music school in Romania.

Headed for Korea, Orchestra Gets Tips

A day before the New York Philharmonic arrived in North Korea on a landmark trip, a Western diplomat based in Pyongyang addressed the players in preparation for their journey.

New South Korean Leader Cleared in Fraud Inquiry

A special prosecutor on Thursday cleared President-elect Lee Myung-bak of South Korea of fraud accusations, four days before his inauguration.

A Korean Village Torn Apart From Within Mends Itself

Kurim in South Korea, a village that lost hundreds in the Korean War, has recently started a process of public reconciliation, with a joint mourning service and fund-raising for a memorial.

Concert in North Korea to Be Broadcast Live

The North Korean government has agreed to a live national broadcast of the New York Philharmonic’s concert in Pyongyang next week.

President-Elect of South Korea Is Questioned in Stock Scam

President-elect Lee Myung-bak, who will be inaugurated on Feb. 25, was elected in part on promises that he would improve the country’s economy.

South Korean Gate Destroyed in Fire

The collapse of Sungnye Gate, a 600-year-old landmark designated a top national treasure, shocked the country.

PBS Will Broadcast Concert From North Korea

In an unusual arrangement, ABC News will cooperate with WNET, New York’s public television station, to produce the broadcast.

Lone Star Executive Sentenced

A South Korean court found the private equity fund and one of its executives guilty of manipulating stock prices. The executive, Paul Yoo, was sentenced to five years.

One Eye on the Fish, the Other on North Korea

The islands in the long-disputed waters near the North Korean coast present an especially tough challenge for relations between North and South Korea.