North Korean Troupe Is Cleared to Enter South’s Waters Before Games

North Korean Troupe Is Cleared to Enter South’s Waters Before Games
5, 2018
SEOUL, South Korea — A 140-member arts troupe from North Korea plans to travel to South Korea this week by ferry, forcing
the South to temporarily lift its ban on all North Korean ships entering its waters, officials said on Monday.
But South Korea has cut off all trade with North Korea
and barred its ships from entering South Korean waters under sanctions it imposed following the sinking of a South Korean warship in 2010.
The arts troupe, comprising orchestra musicians, dancers
and singers, will arrive in South Korea on Tuesday on board the ferry Mangyongbong-92, said Baik Tae-hyun, a spokesman at the Unification Ministry, a South Korean government agency in charge of relations with North Korea.
South Korean officials said they were talking with their North Korean counterparts to ensure
that the North Korean troupe steers away from political messages during performances.
South Korea won an exception from Washington when its Asiana Air charter plane took South Korean
players to a North Korean ski resort last week for joint training with the North Koreans.
Mr. Baik said South Korea was talking with the United States and the United Nations to ensure
that the Mangyongbong-92’s visit to South Korea would not violate international sanctions.