N. Korea cancels art festival over coronavirus
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has cancelled an art festival due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, its state media said Saturday.
North Korea decided not to hold the April Spring Friendship Art Festival in Pyongyang, Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda website, reported.
The art festival, which started in 1982, is a biennial event honoring the birth anniversary of the North's late founder, Kim Il-sung, on April 15. The festival invites art troupes from other countries and showcases various music and dance performances.
North Korea originally planned to hold the festival between April 11 and 17, but pundits said that as many countries around the globe restrict overseas travel on fears of the novel coronavirus, it may have pushed the organizers to cancel the event.
North Korea has shut its borders since late January. The communist state has yet to report any confirmed coronavirus infections, but speculation persists that it might be concealing an outbreak.
The cancellation of the festival follows after North Korea also scrapped its plan to hold an annual marathon event in Pyongyang that was supposed to take place on April 12.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
S. Korea marks 30th anniv. of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale with contemporary art
-
Artist Lee Bae captures ethereal Korean aesthetics at Venice Biennale
-
Ateez member Yunho throws first pitch at MLB match between Dodgers, Mets
-
Gov't likely to accept university chiefs' request to lower med school enrollment quota
-
S. Korea supports resolution backing U.N. membership of Palestine
-
Artist Lee Bae captures ethereal Korean aesthetics at Venice Biennale
-
S. Korea marks 30th anniv. of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale with contemporary art
-
Gov't likely to accept university chiefs' request to lower med school enrollment quota
-
Looming weekly closure of major hospitals feared to worsen medical service crisis
-
Yoon's approval rating sinks to lowest point since taking office
-
U.S. will take steps for three-way engagement on nuclear deterrence with S. Korea, Japan: Campbell
-
(LEAD) Hybe to file complaint against sublabel executives over internal conflict
-
Looming weekly closure of major hospitals feared to worsen medical service crisis
-
Author of ADOR's 'internal document' refutes allegations of spinoff plot
-
S. Korea reports highest suicide rate, ultra fine dust level among OECD nations: data