China sees a six-day visit by North Korea's most popular all-female band as important, an ambassador said Wednesday, as the ensemble left Pyongyang for its first concerts abroad.
In the latest sign of warming relations between China and North Korea, the Moranbong Band and some 100 members of the State Merited Chorus, clad in military uniforms, left for Beijing by train in the morning.
The music group of about 20 women, known for sometimes wearing noticeably untraditional above-the-knee skirts and playing instruments such as electric violins, was formed in 2012 following an order from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.