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N. Korea cancels art festival over coronavirus

All News 16:11 March 21, 2020

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.

This captured image shows the website of Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda outlet, on March 21, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

This captured image shows the website of Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda outlet, on March 21, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

kdon@yna.co.kr
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